The Next Generation: All Was 'Well'
by Banandie
Summary: James Sirius and Albus Severus Potter attend their terms at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they enjoy life and ace all their classes. When dark figures begin appearing, even after the Battle of Hogwarts, all may not be well.
1. Chapter 1

_This takes place right after the end of the Seventh book/movie. Albus and James are the children of Harry and Ginny, Scorpius is Malfoy's son, and Rose and Hugo are the kids of Ron and Hermione. James and Scorpius are in their third year, and Rose and Albus are first years. Enjoy (:_

Albus had finally boarded the train, and met up in a stall with his elder brother, James. "So, I guess this is it?"

"Of course not, Albus. We'll be returning home for holiday, and maybe Mum or Dad will pay a visit to train the Quidditch team or something!" James reassured. The train took off, and they saw the last of their two parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, and their younger sister, Lily, waving them goodbye. In climbed a red-headed girl, who was beginning her first year of Hogwarts, just like Albus.

"Well hello, guys. Mind if I join you in here?" She asked.

"Well sure, Rose." Replied James.

Rose Weasely was a little petite for her age. She was James and Albus' cousin. "Mother told me that the classes are fairly easy. She has even allowed me to have a jumpstart in charms! Watch this. _Wingardium Leviosa!" _At that moment, the book she had been carrying began levitating.

"That's simple. This year I get to learn Divination, though Dad was reluctant towards it. He told me not to listen to the predictions of Professor Trelawney… But I think she's brilliant, really." James bragged. He was about to begin his third year at Hogwarts. "And I really hope to earn the Quidditch Cup this year. Gryffindor hasn't won since Dad was seeker." He went on.

"Well maybe this year may be lucky for you. Dad hasn't been training you all summer for nothing, has he? Maybe even I can make the team this year…" Albus imagined himself soaring on a Firebolt1000 across the hoops, making the Quidditch team as the new Keeper… "James, do you recall any teams with an open Keeper position?"

"Actually, Gryffindor's just graduated, which means they need a new captain too! And I believe Hufflepuff, but I _doubt_ anyone would want to represent them…"

"For your information, many noble witches and wizards have come from Hufflepuff. I would be honored to be put in any house." interrupted Rose. "Look at Cedric Diggory, for example! Excellent seeker. Too bad he was killed that one year… I read all about it. Voldemort had killed him, you know."

"I think we'd know that… Father has told the story at least twice. He was _there, _Rose." James butted in.

"I suppose…" Rose changed the subject. "Have you heard? Mr. Longbottom is going to be our new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. I've heard he's very nice."

Just then, a blonde, tall third year boy popped into the doorway. "Mr. Longbottom? That git. My father told me he was a great coward until his seventh year."

"No one asked you, Scorpius. You wish you were as brave as him." Rose said.

"And so what if I did?" He kidded, while taking a seat next to James. Scorpius was placed in the Slytherin house. He and James had known each other since their first year, and while they were great friends they also were very competitive about who would be the most successful.

The four children sat and talked about their favorite Quidditch teams and wizards and became so preoccupied that they were surprised when the moving train came to a halt.

"we're here!" Squealed Rose as they all climbed out of their stall and carried their luggage with them into the hall of the train, James making he was extra careful with his new Nimbus 4000, which was given to him by his father for making the Gryffindor team as Seeker. They all shuffled out of the Hogwarts Express.

"First years over here!" Shouted a fifth-year Gryffindor prefect.

Albus turned to James. "Well here I go… Wish me luck, brother."

"I'll see you at the Gryffindor table, Albus. And don't be worried, you're going to be put in the right house anyway."

So Albus and Rose joined the crowd of about 20 first years as James and Scorpius set off for the horseless carriages that transport them to the school grounds.


	2. Chapter 2

Albus and Rose stayed close together so that they wouldn't get lost in the crowd. A giant man with long, messy hair and really large clothes stopped the crowd in front of a lake.

"Hellur there, me name's Rubeus Hagrid. Also known as Professor Hagrid. I teach the Care o' Magical Creatures class ter students in their third year an' up. Now, yer all goin' ta have ta cross this here lake with these boats, and be careful not ter fall in, yeh understand? Anyone wan' ter go first?"

Everyone stared, except for Albus and Ruby who had heard many great stories of Hagrid. They walked to the front of the crowd and started climbing into their boats.

"Aha! Albus Potter, Rose Weasely pleasure to finally meet yeh two. How have yer parents been doin'?" Hagrid asked right before squeezing them into a giant hug.

The rest of the students set off into the lake and they drifted towards the majestic castle.

…

It was marvelous. It was the most amazing thing Albus had ever seen. The entrance hall was decorated with floating candles and the ceiling was showing a dark, starlit sky. Four huge banners hung above four very long tables; A red one with a gold lion on it, a yellow one with a black badger on it, a blue one with a white eagle, and last, a green one with a silver serpent. He caught a glimpse of James sitting with his Quidditch team mates at the red and gold table that belonged to the Gryffindor house. There was one more table, lying perpendicular to the other four, with all the Professors sitting and watching the new students enter. A tiny, aging woman stepped up to speak to the school, and everyone stopped talking at once.

"Welcome, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am your headmaster _and_ Transfiguration instructor, Professor McGonagall. To begin the Sorting, I will call your name, then you shall walk up to this here stool and place this hat upon your head. It will then decide which house you will be placed in. So, would Sarah Cintron please step up?"

A short, wavy-haired girl stepped up to the platform and placed the black, wrinkly hat on her head. In only a few seconds, the hat had shouted:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

She ran to the yellow and black table and sat as tons of Hufflepuffs cheered her on.

Albus began to get nervous. What if his housemates don't like him? Would he be able to change? What if he get put into Slytherin, where there is no room for anyone on the Quidditch team? Professor McGonagall called quite a few more students, including Patrick Cirri (Slytherin), Aldrin Gaffud (Ravenclaw), Jianni Davies (Slytherin), Lilianne Goldman (Gryffindor)… Albus began to not pay attention. Student after student went up, and got sorted into their proper houses.

"Albus Potter?" McGonagall called.

This was it. He began his way to the platform. His heart was beating so hard, and his mind was racing. He could see everyone watching him, though he wasn't sure if it was because of his family's fame or if they did this to everyone. He sat on the stool, placed the hat on, but nothing happened. Maybe I'm just not meant to be a wizard… He thought. What if they didn't mean to send me my letter?

"Stop thinking so hard, I can't read you. Relax…" The hat spoke to him. "Very, very determined. Brave, yes, and loyal. Just like your father. That means you are yet another Potter to be placed in- GRYFFINDOR!"

Albus beamed from ear to ear. He had been placed into Gryffindor! He joyfully strode to his table and sat next to his big brother. Everyone was cheering for him.

More names were called. One by one, the line began to get smaller, until Rose Weasely was the only one left. She walked up to the stool very calmly, and gently placed the hat on top of her Ginger head.

"My, yet _another_ Weasely. A brave, intelligent lady like yourself obviously belongs in GRYFFINDOR!"

She squealed and ran over to the table to join her cousins.

"Well, that concludes the sorting ceremony! Before we begin the feast, I have a few announcements to make. Third years must turn in their Hogsmeade forms by the end of next week. Much to our advantage, a few wozards of the Ministry have agreed to come in and help teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. They wish to remain a surprise until they arrive. Also, All Quidditch teams are _required_ to hold tryouts for any new players. Whether they wish to accept any new players and modify their teams is the captain's choice." Albus's hand shot up. "And yes, Albus, I will be deciding who the new captain is for the Gryffindor team. Now, what are you waiting for? Dig in!"

With a clap of McGonagall's hand, all of Albus and james's favorite foods flooded onto the table. It was the best meal Albus had ever eaten. He sat and talked to his housemates and met a few new people, including Andrea Garusso, the 5th year prefect that had guided him to Hagrid earlier that day, Lilianne Goldman, who was a first year too and would be rooming with Rose, and Seth Wasab, who would be one of his own roomates.

At the end of the meal, All the prefects guided their houses to their common room. Albus approached the fat lady he had heard his mother and father talk about. "What's the password?" He asked Andrea.

"Aubergine."

The fat lady swung open, revealing the cozy, dim-lit common room.


	3. Chapter 3

The room was large, firelit and very cozy. Mahoghany furniture decorated the dim room and there were two staircases branching in different directions; one leading to the girls dormitory, and the other to the boys. All the First, second, and third years were gathered around the fire, playing wizard chess, when one third year girl squealed out, " Lets tell stories!" James noticed she was very attractive. She had long, blonde hair with blue eyes. She was skinny and just about James's height, had pale skin, and her name was Katelyn Lovegood. "James, why don't you tell one about your dad?"

Had she really said his name? What story was he going to tell? "Er- I guess…" he thought for a moment. His dad didn't really like to talk too much about his past, for it was over and some parts he just didn't like to relive. SO then he thought about things that he had been told about when Harry himself was in his third year at Hogwarts, and then he got it. "Well, he said he's rescued a hippogriff before.. I don't know the exact way, but- er- he saved it, along with Sirius Black-"

"Really? Please tell more, James!" Katelyn pleaded.

"Um… Well it had attacked Scorpius's father-Draco Malfoy, I believe? Well he demanded the hippogriff get executed. And it did, but Aunt Hermione had a time-turner device and the went back in time and saved it! And dad used a patronus to scare away the demetors from performing the kiss on himself and Sirius. Confusing, really."

"Mum was there too, she almost got kissed." Rose butted in, "She still has her time turner, though she won't tell me where it's hidden. Says it's only for emergencies…"

Albus just sat there quietly listening as everyone took turns as they told their parents' stories about their times in Hogwarts, or fighting against the dark lord and his followers in the horrific battle that occurred 19 years earlier. One by one, everyone shuffled into their dormitorys and off to bed, until the only three left were himself, James, and Rose.

"Well, I'm off to bed." James said, yawning. "Albus, turn the lights out when you come up, will you?"

"Er- Yeah. Sure." Alubs replied. James and Rose parted their ways and climbed the staircases into their dormitories. Albus walked to the desk in the far corner of the common room, pulled a quill and parchment out of one of the drawers and began a letter to send home to his parents.

_ Dear Mom and Dad,_

_Hogwarts is amazing. Rose and I have both been placed in Gryffindor, and since only three others, Seth Fader, Lillian Goldman, and Katy Reillagh made it, the boys get to dorm with the third years. That means Ill be sharing a room with James. I guess that's a good thing, at least we can keep an eye on each other. Can you believe that dad is still famous here? It's been one night and we've already had to tell stories about you. Also, quidditch tryouts are next Saturday, and I have a big feeling James is gonna become the captain. Hopefully I can be the Keeper this year. Professor McGonagall announced that some wizards of the ministry will be coming in to help with Quidditch and our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. I hope things are going well. Miss you tons._

_ -Albus Severus Potter_

He folded his letter and slipped it into his pocket and began his way upstairs to the dorms while extinguishing the fire place and blowing out the lamps.


	4. Chapter 4

Albus awoke the next morning to the sound of excited talking. He opened his heavy eyes, and across the room, James and Seth were talking about their upcoming classes.

"You'll love it! Though potion making can be difficult and is a lot of hard work..." james was saying. " i suppose it's gonna be a tons easier than Divination though! Dad said she was a real joke, that professor Trelawney. Aha! Look who finally decided to wake up!" James noticed that Albus was listening to them from the four-poster next to his own. "Up you go. Breakfast starts in ten minutes!"

Had he really slept that long? Albus sprang out of bed, put his school robes on and began combing at his messy black hair. "James, why hadnt you told me to get up earlier?" He asked while slipping on his shoes.

"There's no fun in that, is there?" He replied jokingly. "Hurry now, don't want to be late on the first day."

...

Breakfast was amazing. It was much better than Ginny Potter's back home and maybe even as good as his grandmother, Molly Weasley's. Andrea handed out all of the schedules, and to James's excitement, he had Divination first. James had potions.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at the break we had mid-day. Meet me at the Quidditch field. We can practice for an hour or so." James told Albus after they compared schedules.

"Mind if I join?" Rose butted in. James completely forgot she was there.

"Well, I guess… But we aren't gonna go easy on you." He replied.

"Trust me, you won't need to." She snapped back. She got up from the table and walked past ten more people and sat down with Lillian.

"James, I think you made her a little mad…"

"Let her be mad then," James snapped. "I have to go now. The North Tower is pretty far from here and I don't want to be late for Divination. You should get going too. It's pretty easy to get lost in those dungeons."

So they all set off for their classes.

…

**James's Class:**

James walked through the small door into the Divination room. It was very hot, humid, and smelled heavily of perfume. He and Scorpius sat together at a table towards the back of the room, and waited. Where was the teacher? About 5 minutes passed and still no sign of Professor Trelawney. James was so nervous, he didn't even realize Katelyn Longbottom walking straight towards his table.

"Mind if I join?" She asked politely.

"Uh, what?" James stuttered. He hadn't even realized she asked a question until Scorpius had nudged him really hard in the rib cage.

"Well, I wanted to know if I could sit with you, unless someone else is already sitting there?" She asked again, very patiently.

"Yeah, yeah you can sit…" James was amazed that she would want to sit with him. "Here…" he said as he pushed aside his textbook and parchment.

Right as Katelyn sat, a strange, shaken voice echoed through the room.

"Welcome, welcome, my lovely students. My name is Professor Trelawney. In this class, you will learn to read crystal balls, predict omens, and forsee the future using the patterns of the planets. The first lesson will be practicing Tasseography. Will everyone please take out their tea leaves?"

_This seems pretty easy,_ James thought. And for him, it was. He mixed his leaves and predicted his future. "Apparently, I'm supposed to gain a new friendship. I have a bird. But, If you look at it this way, it looks like a rabbit. That stands for finding love…" James told his groupmates.

"Maybe it could mean, both! But do you mind helping me with mine? I can't seem to find _anything._" Katelyn said disappointedly.

James leaned closer to her cup. "Well, you see that leaf in the corner? I think it represents a skull… I'm really sorry, but that means great loss." He said, as he looked up to her. She was staring straight into his green, almond shaped eyes. He noticed how bright her eyes were. "But these predictions aren't always true, you know."

"I suppose," she said, breaking her gaze with him.

_How can I be so ignorant?_ James thought to himself. _Obviously, she was trying to make a move…_

The rest of the class slowly ticked by, until the bell for the mid-day break finally rang. On James's way out, Professor Trelawney pulled him aside.

"James Potter. I remember when your father was in this exact room. He didn't quite grasp the art of Divination, in fact he had a hard time taking it seriously. He and Ronald Weasely… But you are different. I rarely come across students who can make such accurate predictions. You shall stick to your studying in this, and I assure you, you can become a great Diviner." She told him.

"Thanks… Thanks a lot." James replied politely. He climbed down the ladder, down the spiral staircase, and headed out to the Quidditch field.

**Albus's Lesson**

The dungeons were extremely cold. He entered the room and was one of the first students in there, besides Rose. He sat next to her at a table and began to apologize.

"Rose, I'm sorry about James. He's just so arrogant sometimes. But I honestly didn't know you played Quidditch…" He began.

"I actually do. And you aren't the one I'm mad at. Father has taught me a few things, and Uncle George taught me how to be a beater. But ugh, James thinks just because I'm a girl, I can't be a good player. Sweet little Rose Weasley won't hurt a fly. I wish I could make the team to prove him wrong…"

"I'm sure you can at least try! Tryouts are Saturday. Come!" Albus encouraged.

"I suppose I will." Rose said shyly.

By now, all the student had filled into their tables. Seth and Lillian had joined Albus and Rose, and the teacher walked to the front of the class and introduced himself.

"My name is Mr. Finch-Fletchey. I will be teaching you the art of potions. Potion-making if one of the classes offered at Hogwarts that is most related to muggle-studies. However, this class is NOT easy. Pay attention and study regularly, and you'll be just fine. If you are one of the few who aren't able to find the time for it," he paused, staring at Albus's table, "then you are going to find this class quite difficult. I will not lighten the load of homework under any circumstances, whether there is Quidditch practice, or a game. I believe that any excuse to not have all assignments completed is invalid, and will receive no credit. Does anyone have questions?"

No one said a word. Professor Finch-Fletchey assigned the class to make a simple potion that was an Antidote to Common poisons. According to Albus, it was the most difficult thing he had ever had to do. With Rose's help, though, he was able to produce one. His had a few flaws, for he had added one measure too many of crushed Bezoar and added only one mistletoe berry, but Rose's was perfect. 85 minutes of brewing had passed and finally, the bell rang and he bagan his way to the Quidditch field.

...

"Dad must be right, Trelawney has to be crazy if she thinks you are a good student." Albus said jokingly.

"Oh, shut it. I'm sure you had _tons_ of fun in potions?" James sarcastically shot back.

James, Albus, and Rose mounted brooms, (Albus and Rose on a school one since they are too young to have their own) And kicked off, soaring into the air. The breeze felt great. James began zooming around, the cool air blowing in his face, and was oulling loop-de-loops and diving across the field. Albus and rose were training each other. Rose would whack a bludger to him and he would dive to save it- and he was good. Rose was too. They continued training like this for the next hour or so, until the next bell rang and they had to depart to their next class.

James put the brooms in the shed, and walked off to Hagrid's hut where he would be attending his first Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Albus and Lily stayed on the field for their flying lesson, even they didn't need one.

James caught up with Scorpius. "James, what did Professor Tralawney want from you?" He asked.

"um, she was just saying that i should take this more seriousl than my dad did..." James said shyly. He didn't like discussing his parents with Scorpius because of their childhood rivalry. It's kind of a mutual agreement between them to put that behind them. They approached Hagrid's hut, and began their lesson.  
>...<p>

The trio met again after their classes in the Gryffindor common room. They compared classes, talked about Quidditch, and complained about their homework.  
>"Mr. Longbottom expects my class to write a 12 inch report on different jobs of the ministry! How in the world am I supposed to know that? And I'm supposed to perfect transfiguring a feather to a flower? I can't even understand what half the stuff in the book means!" James complained quite loudly. The three of them were sitting by the fire.<br>"Let's be real, James. It's obvious! Just write about Aurors! Your father is head, don't you remember? I'm sure he's told you TONS of things about his job. And transfiguration isn't THAT hard. It just requires some practice." Rose said.  
>"Oh, yeah? It's easier said than done. I don't suppose your homework is as difficult?" James snapped back.<br>"Well, it isn't... We just need to practice levitating things. It's pretty easy though." Albus replied.  
>"Oh! I nearly forgot! How was the flying lesson?" James asked Rose and Albus.<br>"Quite pathetic, really! Rose and I were the only ones who had ridden a broom before! 3 students fell off and were sent to the hospital wing. Then the rest of the lesson was cancelled." Albus bragged.  
>They sat and practiced charms and helped James on his report on Aurors until they made their way down to the great hall, ate their feast, and climbed back to the seventh floor where their beds awaited them.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_All my friends go out on a Friday night, but me? I stay home and write a fan fiction. SOML. Here are the answers to some questions people have asked: James doesn't dislike Rose, he's just very arrogant like the original James, and that influences their relationship, as you'll see in this chapter. Please review! Enjoy _

The rest of the week went by very slow for Albus, Rose, and James. Each night they were given tons of homework and expected to have it completed by the next day. On top of that, Albus was a nervous wreck about the upcoming Quidditch tryouts. At the feast on Wednesday night, Professor McGonagall announced that James would be the captain of the team. Albus at least figured this would up the chances of him making the team, but Rose felt different.

"He's already cocky enough. Don't you think he's going to let this go to his head? Albus, just think! If you make him mad, even the slightest bit; he's going to hold it against you, somehow using Quidditch! I'm happy for him, really, but the position is going to get to his head…" Rose ranted on after the feast.

"Then let him! Rose, would you stop worrying? It's not helping anything. Now hurry, we need to get to the library to work on our potions homework… that crazy man expects us to write a 14 inch parchment on as many potion ingredients as we can research!" Albus said. "And I still have to find a decent broom to use from the shed for tryouts…"

The next day was dreadfully slow. Scorpius was jealous of James's success in becoming captain, and wouldn't say a word to him. James was stuck sitting alone with Katelyn during Double Potions, which at first he didn't mind. Later that lesson, he had mistakenly put the wrong root in his potion, and it had bubbled over all onto his and Katelyn's school work, ruining a report she had worked hard on and causing her to not talk to him either. Since he had done such a poor job on his potion, Professor Finch-Fletchey assigned him a 16 inch essay on the importance of following instructions and using proper ingredients. The bell finally rang, and he was the first student out of the room. He began his way to the great hall for dinner. Albus was coming into the castle from his herbology lesson when the two brothers collided; sending the papers James was holding flying all over the place.

"Would you _please _watch where you are going?" James complained, as he was bunching his papers in a ball.

"Sorry. Today wasn't my day…" Albus said wearily, scrambling to his feet. "I still can't levitate anything. I'm going to fail charms! Professor Flitwick doesn't even understand how much I've been trying… he made me stay in his office an extra 30 minutes so he could lecture me on practicing!"

"Seems like you've got it easy." James replied. He told him all about Scorpius ignoring him, and how Katelyn was infuriated with him for ruining her report on the ministry of magic as they made their way to the Great Hall, where their feast awaited them. Albus, Rose, and James ate it quietly, left early, and climbed to the seventh floor to begin their homework.

…

The rest of the week slipped by, and before James knew it, it was Saturday morning, and he and Albus were making their way to the Quidditch field. It was beautiful outside, without a cloud in a sky. It was perfect weather for Quidditch. They made their way to the broom shed and James grabbed his firebolt1500, while Albus grabbed one of the school's cleansweeps, since he is too young to have his own broom at school. James waited on the grounds to greet the other players, and Albus decided to lift into the air and warm up a little. Within 5 minutes, the rest of the participators had arrived, and were gliding around the field too.

"Welcome, everyone…" Everyone stopped what they were doing and was watching James intently. "Uh, I'm James, the captain, and I'd like you to know that just because you were on the team previously, it doesn't mean you'll make it this year… I guess I'll just keep an eye on you guys, please take turns with each other practicing what position you'll play, and I'll take note of who should be on our team. You can begin now…" He trailed off, as everyone scuttled to their positions, and began a scrimmage game of Quidditch. There were 15 people trying out; 4 keepers, 6 chasers, and 5 beaters. James scanned the list and was shocked to see that Rose was trying out for chaser. _That must be a joke…_ He thought to himself.

He spent about 30 minutes watching the Keepers. The only one blocking everything was Albus. _The one who made this position is obvious…_ He thought as he circled Albus's name on the list and made his way over to watch the Beaters. He watched them closely for another 25 minutes, chose the teammates, and made his way to the Chasers. After only 5 minutes, he chose to just keep the teams original Chasers, Andrea, the fifth year prefect, Nigel Rosenberg, another fifth year, and Peter Hatch, a fourth year. He circled their names, turned to watch the keepers again, when out of nowhere a bludger whammed straight into his side, knocking him off his broom and leaving him hanging in the air, only holding on with his hands. Struggling, he climbed back on, and glared over to the beaters where the ball had come from. As he glanced over, he saw one girl speeding with a bludger past everyone, and with a perfect throw, she scored into the tallest hoop, leaving Albus scrambling to catch the round, wooden ball before it hit the ground. James looked closer; _it was Rose!_ He immediately scratched off Peters name and instead circled hers.

"Everyone stop- HEY! EVERYONE STOP!" James shouted across the field. "I have chosen our new team… Let's see, Albus Potter, you will be Keeper. Our Beaters are Jeremy Harrison and Olivia Ellens. Obviously, I'm Seeker, and our Chasers are Andrea Garusso, Nigel Rosenberg, and Rose Weasley! Practices will be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday immediately after dinner, and there are NO excuses for missing them. I expect the best of this team. And I guess you guys are dismissed…"

Everyone began their way to the common room. The three of them walked back in silence, mostly because they were so worn out. When they had finally made it back, they were sitting by the fire.

"You did really well Rose, I didn't think you were any good at Quidditch…" James complimented.

"Thanks… It's not like you would've noticed if I hadn't thrown that bludger at yo-"

"You _what_? That was you? What the bloody hell were you thinking?" James said, shocked/

"Well, I mean you didn't even give me a chance! And it _was _a little funny…" Rose trailed off, giggling.

"You could have hurt me, Rose! And do you know how embarrassing that was?" James nagged, raising his voice. "I can't believe you! Maybe this was why I didn't consider you! _Don't you ever think?" _He was practically yelling, and had gotten to his feet.

"Well, _maybe _if you weren't so _arrogant _and sure of yourself, this wouldn't have happened!" She shouted back, and marched up to her dorm. Lillian followed her up, glaring at James, who was scarlet-faced and panting with rage.

"James- Sit down!" Albus said, tugging him to the floor. Everyone in the room was staring straight at them. "Let's just…. Let's do homework, okay?" James nodded, and they began their homework together. The rest of the students began murmuring amongst themselves again. Before they knew it, it was time for dinner and they made their way to the great hall.

…

A few days passed, and James was still refusing to talk to Rose, Scorpius, and Katelyn, forcing him to work with no help all through charms, potions, and history of magic, thus leaving him loads of homework everyday. Quidditch practice had begun, and it at least cheered him up that the team wasn't horrible. To he and Albus's surprise, they were actually pretty good. One night, during dinner in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall made an announcement.

"I am glad to announce that we will be having two visitors from Halloween until the holidays to host a new club teaching a variety of wizarding techniques and start talking about your futures. They are remarkable past students of Hogwarts and are the parents of some students sitting in this hall right now." She announced. "This club, however, is strictly for third years and higher. If you would like to sign up, I advise you to do so in your common room. Well, you may begin eating!"

"How d'you think is coming?" Albus asked James eagerly.

"I don't know… It can't be dad though, he's much too busy at the ministry. Do you think maybe Scorpius's dad is coming?" James replied disappointedly.

They didn't speak much after that, because they were too engrossed in their food. They made their way to the common room, completed their homework, and made their way upstairs.

"James?" Albus asked as they entered their dormitory, and were sitting on their beds.

"What?"

"Well- Erm… Are you okay lately? You seem… Not like yourself." He asked

"I'm fine, okay?" James lied.

"You don't seem like it."

"Well… okay, I'll tell you. I guess I'm just bummed, because Rose, Scorpius, and Katelyn are still ignoring me, and I don't even know what the big deal is…" He trailed off.

"Why don't you just apologize, James?"

"How am I supposed to do that?" He snapped back. "Every single time I try to say a word to them, they walk right past me and pretend I don't exist."

Albus didn't reply, so James rolled over in bed, and tried to sleep. Over and over he thought of himself apologizing to each of his lost friends, and everytime they just ignored him until he drifted off to sleep.

He was on the Quidditch field, during a game, and the crowd was going crazy. He was on the ground, and the golden snitch was clasped in his hand. He sprang up, And raised his closed fist to the roaring crowd. He looked into the audience, and he couldn't believe his eyes! Dad and Uncle Ron were there! He became so overjoyed and was taking in the glory, when he heard an evil, cackling laugh… He spun around, and staring right at him was a witch he had never seen before, but apparently his father, Harry had, because he was running from the stands onto the field. She lifted her wand at James, and cackled "_Crucio!" _The worst pain he had ever felt spread through his body, and it felt as if his limbs were on fire. The pain began slowly fading, and he climbed back onto his feet, just to see a green light reach his father. "_NOOOO!" James was shouting, but it was too late…_

"James! JAMES! Wake up!" Albus was shaking James awake. "What the hell just happened?"

James sat up. Clearly he had been screaming subconsciously, because everyone in the dorm was sitting up and staring at him. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He decided to tell Albus and their roommates about his dream. When he was done, everyone was still staring at him, eyes wide and jaws dropped. "Well… we know it's not real at least… Dad isn't here." Albus tried to sound unconcerned.

"I think I'm going on a walk… I can't go back to sleep, not after that." James decided. He dressed himself and headed out of the dormitory. The sin had just begun to rise when he arrived in the school's courtyard and sat beneath a large tree in the courtyard, and he began to write his dream out to his parents. _Maybe they'd know what it's about… _He thought to himself. He was about to get up, when he heard footsteps coming. Instead, James stayed where he was, hoping the other student wouldn't turn into the courtyard; but he was wrong. Out came Katelyn, her long, blonde hair flowing behind her.

"Oh! James… What are you doing he- Are you okay? You look troubled." She asked.

"Yeah. Just brilliant. I'm just going to be at the owlery now…" He grunted, and walked past her.

"James? James! Can't we talk?" She called after him, and followed him. "I know I shouldn't have overreacted to you spilling your poition…"

"Lets just forget that? Please?" James pleaded. They began their way to the owlery, as he told her about the strange dream he had that night. The sun was up now, and students were beginning to wake up and make their way to the Hall for breakfast. They hadn't said a word to each other after James explained his dream until they reached the owlery.

"I don't know James… That's nothing normal… I advise you tell someone about this!" She said. Still pondering what could've sparked it.

"Who d'you reckon I'm sending this owl to? I'm sure my dad knows something about this…" He snapped. They began their way to breakfast together, awkwardly avoiding Scorpius and Rose.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days passed, and James was eager for his father to reply with his feedback on his dream. Flashes of it played over and over again; the evil, cackling woman, his father running towards him to rescue him, and the jet of green light that sent his father to the ground. He wanted to talk to Rose about it, since she always seemed to have the answer to everything, but each time he'd try pulling her aside, she would scowl and walk away. Albus wasn't much help, either. He tried to reason with James, but was too busy focusing on his school work and Quidditch practice. When he wasn't on the field, Albus would spend hours in the common room practicing charms, which he had much trouble preforming. James, on the other hand, was doing better than usual in his classes. He was a natural at Divination and the Defense Against the Dark Arts, never having any homework and earning Gryffindor extra points due to his great class performance. One afternoon, after writing an essay on werewolves for DADA, he and Albus made their way to the Quidditch pitch for another practice. It went exceptionally well; Albus saved nearly every shot and James caught the snitch within five minutes of their scrimmage game. At the end of practice, he tried talking to Rose again.

"Rose-ROSE! Can you stay behind after practice? I, uh, need to discuss the game plan with you." he called to her as the team filed out of the dressing rooms.

She turned to him when everyone had left. "What do you want?" She snapped.

"Rose, I need to ask you about something..."

"I knew it. Now you are trying to use Quidditch to try to talk to me? And I'm sure it's about that bizzarre dream! Can't you just drop it? Al told me all about it. It's just a dream, i find it pointless. Why do you even wor-"

"I WORRY BECAUSE IT INVOLVES MY FATHER. In case you haven't noticed, he's been in plenty of danger more than a few times!" James pretty much shouted. "You know what, just forget it. I thought you'd actually care." he said. James stormed out of the small building and made his way past towards the castle, passing the small hut where Hagrid lived. Pausing in his steps, he turned, and made his way to the little hut. He knocked three times, waited a minute, and then a large man entered the doorway.

"Hello there, James! How are yeh? Come in!" Hagrid gestured inside his house, and James ventured in. "Wan' some punkin juice?" He asked as he poured James a glass.

It wasn't until he accepted the drink that James saw two familiar faces staring at him. "Albus! What are you doing here? And... Who are you?" he asked, while pointing to the dark haired asian boy standing next to Albus.

"This is Aldrin. He's in my year. He plays beater for the Ravenclaw team! And I figured I wanted to visit Hagrid, and on my way I ran into him so we came here together!"

"Oh, nice to meet you then…" He trailed off.

"Why isn't Rose with yeh?" Hagrid asked, to break the silence.

"I-uh, we aren't talking…" He replied awkwardly.

"James, what'd yeh do this time?" Hagrid asked.

"How come you suddenly assume it's me?" He complained, and everyone turned to stare at him unconvinced. "Its… whatever. I have to go and shower. Nice seeing you." He grunted, turning to the door.

"We ought to go too. Come on, Al!" Aldrin added, following James out the door. Albus and Aldrin walked up to the castle talking about the Appleby Arrows and their amazing win at the most recent world cup, while James walked in silence a few steps ahead. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs, where Aldrin turned for his common room, and the two brothers made their way to the Gryfindor common room.

"James? Are you okay? What did you have to say to Rose?" Albus asked. James told him all about their argument in the changing room. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you… I told her about the dreams. She is worried, but she just wants you to cave first. She thinks she's right in your argument…"

"Well, she is. And she shouldn't be mad at me anymore, because I tried to tell her numerous times that I'm sorry. I'm going to shower and go to bed. I'll be up in the dorm if you need me." James sighed.

…

The sun was shining bright through the window as James sat up in bed, squinting and rubbing his eyes. He clambered out of bed, changed into his casual clothes, and began his way down the spiral stairs into the common room. It was the fourth Saturday of the term, and he had no classes. He reached the bottom of the stairs to see that the room was mostly empty, except for Albus, Rose, and Katelyn. Still avoiding Rose from their most recent fracas, he made his way to Katelyn.

"Hello James, how was your night?" She asked cheerfully.

Now that he thought of it, he had his best sleep since his frightening dream two weeks ago. "It was great, I don't even remember dreaming about anything…" He trailed off as he yawned.

The two of them made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were just outside the portrait when they heard the footsteps of someone in the corridor. They nodded to each other, and set off down the hall in which they heard footsteps. The passed a few classrooms until they heard someone complaining quite loudly to another classmate.

"I've already told you, I stopped talking to that git! I bet he wouldn't have even made the Quidditch team if his father hadn't 'saved the world'." The first voice was saying, clearly with disgust. James knew immediately that it was the voice of Scorpius Malfoy.  
>"So, you just ditched the deal, huh?" the second voice shot back. He couldn't recognise it, but he knew he had heard it before.<br>"No, Fox. The deal was that if I could tell you what I could on how Potter runs the team, you'd guarantee me a spot as Beater. I've waited 3 years for the spot to open, and what do you do? You hand it right over to that Cirri bloke!"  
>At that point, James realized Scorpius was talking to John Fox, the sixth year Slytherin team captain. Was it true? Had he only befriended James to help the slytherin team cheat? <em>Well, it's common Slytherin behavior<em> he thought to himself. He looked down the hall, and Albus was frozen in his steps with his mouth gaping open and a look of fury on his face. Oddly, James wasn't upset that he had been used. He was furious that he had been so blind, that he could have allowed someone to play him for a fool. He strode back towards the Great Hall, Albus tagging along.

"Dad was right. He's just as fowl as his father." Albus grunted as they entered the large room. They parted ways as Al sat with Rose, Lillian, Aldrin, and Seth, and James made his way to the table where Katelyn was waiting for him, along with some Ravenclaws in their year including Amanda Berkins and Harold Gerrat. James quietly told Katelyn what he had just overheard, and just as he finished, Scorpius came swaggering into the hall right up to their table.

"Sorry I'm late, that Fox kid wanted to talk to me about something." He said cooly.

"Actually, this table's full today." Katelyn said gingerly, implying that he wasn't wanted there.

"Excuse me, Longbottom? I don't suppose you have any other friends that you can invite here." He snapped back at her, scowling.

"Don't talk to her like that," James said through gritted teeth, "_Malfoy._ Why don't you sit with John? You seem to have a pretty tight friendship with him."

"Look who's finally caught on?" He sneered back as he walked away towards the table where all the Slytherins sat.

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. James was about to leave his table to spend time studying in the common room when he heard the familiar screech of Cheaker, his family's owl. It landed gently next to him on the table, and attatched to each leg was a note. On the left one, Albus was scribbled neatly on it, and on the right, James. He gently tore open the letter, and saw his mother's neat handwriting:

_Dear James,_

_ How have you been? Your father and I have been missing you so much. All is well at home (actually, a little quiet without you arguing with Rose all the time.) We read about your dream, and please don't worry. Your father is very well trained in situations like that. The other night the family gathered at you're the Burrow, and we saw all of the family. They told me to send you their love! Once again, we miss you dearly and can't wait to see you over the holidays._

_Love, Mum and Dad._

_P.S- Congratulations on becoming the Quidditch captain! We are so proud of you!_

This note had made his day so much better. He was folding it back up to put in his pocket when he saw a small, scribbled note in the corner of the parchment. It was in messier handwriting and said:

_ James, I need to know more about the dream you had. Please meet me by the fireplace in the common room at 1 oclock in the morning. I'll be using the floo network. _

_Love, Dad._

A wave of excitement flashed over him. _I get to see dad!_ He thought to himself. He stood up from his table, grabbed his schoolbag, and left Katelyn and her friends without saying a word. He stopped behind where Albus was sitting.

"Albus! Follow me, I have to show you something!" He said excitedly to his little brother. He strode down the hall, and Albus hopped out of his seat and caught up with him. It wasn't until they had reached the courtyard that James stopped, and breathlessly showed Albus the letter he received.

"We'll get to see him tonight!" He said ecstatically.

"No way, this is great! I can stay with you, right?" Albus said.

"Of course, he couldn't have expected me not to show you this. What did mum say in your letter?"

Albus pulled out his letter and began reading aloud: " '_Dear Albus, I hope school is great. We are so proud of you for getting into Gryffindor, and for making the Quidditch team! Mr. Longbottom told me you and James are doing great in his class! Remember to visit Hagrid often! We love and miss you, Mum and Dad.' _Blimey, I miss them too."

The two brothers set off for their classes, and the day went by very quickly. It seemed like only an hour when they were the last two people left in the common room at 12:59 am, and the familiar face of Harry Potter appeared in the fire place.

"Dad!" The two boys exclaimed. They hurried over to the fireplace, and kneeled to get a better look.

"Al! James! How are you?" He said quietly. "Listen, I need to know about this dream. It shouldn't be anything to worry about, but I need to know the details. I don't have long- Your mother doesn't know about this."

"Well, it was my first Quidditch game, and I had just caught the snitch, and when I landed, this cackling witch appeared… She crucio'd me and you came running from the stands, and suddenly, the pain stopped. Right when I looked up, you were…" He trailed off, gulping. "odd dream, though. What would you be doing at Hogwarts"

"Yeah, yeah… What did the woman look like, James?" Harry asked eagerly.

"The woman? I don't really- She had black, curly hair…" He said confusedly. "She had a really annoying cackle…"

"Right! Listen, I have to leave now. Please don't get into any trouble?" Harry cut him off.

"Of course not!" James replied sarcastically.

"I won't." Albus said quietly. James had forgotten he was even there. "Love you, Dad."

"I love you guys too. I'll see you soon enough." Harry looked behind himself, and vanished in the flames.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Thank you for reading! I'm sorry I haven't been updating very often, I've been on a huge writers block! Also, please review this! I don't know if anyone is reading it unless they review, and only like 2 or 3 people have reviewed. I'm going to stop posting if I don't get any more reviews, because what's the point of posting if I'm not sure anybody is even reading it? So pleaseeee review and I promise if you ask me to, I'll take a look at one of your own pieces! Here it goes:**

"James! JAMES! Wake up! You've got to see this!" Albus was shaking James to get up.

"Wha-"

"LOOK! Out the window!" Albus said excitedly. James climbed out of bed and peered out the large window in the middle of the dorm. It had a perfect view of Hagrid's hut, and three figures were standing outside of it talking. One, of course, was Hagrid, as James could tell by his extreme height. The other two were very small compared to the half-giant, but Albus assumed they were average height for a normal man. One had bright red hair and a small beer belly; it was Uncle Ron! The other man had messy black hair... It had to be!

"DAD!" James shouted. He couldn't believe his eyes! "Get dressed Al! We'll go down to see him!"

The boys got dressed in record time, and began speeding the way down the stairs to the common room. They were in such a hurry; they almost ran over Rose, who had just come down from the girls' dormitory. "Albus! Where are you-?" she began, but was cut off by James shouting behind him "Just follow us!"

The three of them hurried to the bottom floor, out the large double doors, across the courtyard, and straight to the hut where their parents were still standing.

"Daddy!" Rose cried in shock as she flung her arms around him.

"What're you doing here?" the two brothers asked their dad at the same time.

"Well, hello to you too!" Harry chuckled. "I assume you'll find out why soon enough." He took his two sons into a great big hug. "You three should get going. You have classes this morning, don't you?" he teased. Disappointed, Albus, Rose, and James turned back and headed towards the castle.

In between fighting and forgiving each other, neither James nor Rose spoke, making the long walk to the castle a little awkward.

"I can't STAND this anymore!" Albus burst out. "Can't you guys just make up?"

No one spoke for a moment.

"I suppose..." Rose finally said. "James, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you."

"It's okay. And I'm sorry I'm so arrogant. It's not my fault I'm so great at Quidditch, I think you should blame my father for that one." He joked. The trio laughed and told stories that they heard all the way back to the castle. James told her all about Scorpius and her hatred for him grew even worse.

They ate breakfast, and James headed for Defense as Albus and Rose set off for Herbology. James had just sat down with Katelyn in Mr. Longbottom's classroom when he noticed something; everyone was staring at him, whispering in small groups.

"James, that's your dad," she said, pointing at Harry, who was now at the front of the class talking to Mr. Longbottom.

"Yeah, and that's your dad." he said jokingly, pointing at Mr. Longbottom. "What's the big deal?" he kidded. Katelyn just giggled.

"Good morning everyone, today I would like to welcome a former classmate and dear friend of mine, though I'm sure you all know who he is. Please welcome Mr. Potter! He will be working at Hogwarts for the next few months. Today, we are deciding to teach you guys how to conjure a Patronus. Harry, would you like to take it from here?" Mr. Longbottom concluded.

"Thank you, Neville. A Patronus is a very difficult, but handy piece of magic. In order to conjure one, you need to think of your happiest memories, and say 'Expecto Patronum'. It takes loads of concentration, and it only stays once you remain focused. How about we give it a try?"

The room became loud with students saying the charm, and there was no luck. Katelyn had been able to produce a thin thread of silver, but it vanished almost immediately. The only one who wasn't working was James.

"Why aren't you trying?" Katelyn asked.

"I guess I just don't feel comfortable with my dad here... But I'll give it a go. _Expecto_ _Patronum_!" he tried, but nothing happened.

"Did you even _think_ of a happy thought? Try again!" Katelyn urged.

This time, James actually did think. He thought of himself being placed into Gryffindor, joining Teddy at the table in his first year.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" he said confidently. It was incredible. A stag gracefully erupted from the tip if his wand. _A stag!_ He thought. _Just like Dad's!_

Harry had seen it too, because the pride in his voice was incredible. "Well done James! Great job!" He called over the crowd of students. "Keep practicing, and we'll see if you can do it again!"

And sure enough, another stag erupted from James's wand. He was ecstatic! He glanced next to him, where Katelyn was standing, just in time to see her produce her own Patronus; a beautiful Hippogriff was emerging from the tip of her wand. "Great job, Katelyn!" James congratulated.

Only a few others were able to produce a Patronus as the class ended. One Ravenclaw named Louis Garusso produced a Moose, and much to James's displeasure, Scorpius had produced a Serpent as his. When they were released and James and Katelyn entered the corridor outside the classroom, they rushed to find Albus and Rose to tell them what they learned. They finally found them in the courtyard, sitting under an old Willow Tree.

"Albus, Rose, you'll never guess what we learned today!" James nearly shouted in excitement. He approached the tree, and without thinking, pulled out his wand. "Expecto Patro-"

"James! Are you mad? No magic in the corridors!" Rose interrupted, but it didn't stop him.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _He chanted, and once again his silvery stag erupted from his wand and began dancing around the group of friends. They all giggled and laughed from the positive energy it emitted, and Katelyn was about to take out her own want when they heard the familiar voice of the caretaker, Filch.

"Using magic in between classes, eh?" He snarled.

"Oh. Hi Filch. I guess you are going to give me another detention?" James smart mouthed him.

"Not this time. I'm bringing you straight to the Headmistress." He snapped, as an evil, wicked smile spread across his face.

James opened his mouth to object, but Rose beat him to it. "The _Headmistress?_ He hasn't gotten in trouble all year! You can't do this…" She objected, but it didn't help one bit.

"Oh yes I can. Come with me now, Potter." He snatched James by the collar of his shirt and began dragging him to Professor McGonagall's office. James was used to getting in trouble by Filch, but never had he been sent to McGonagall… Maybe she'd go easy on him. He _was_ one of her favorite students. He was so busy thinking of what would happen to him that he didn't even notice that Filch was leading him up the spiraling staircase right into the grand office…

"Yes, Filch?" The sharp voice of Minerva McGonagall broke the silence.

"Caught a student using magic in the corridor." He spoke.

"Leave them here, I'll deal with them." She said, not looking up from her desk. Filch grunted and shuffled out of the office.

A few minutes later, she looked up from her papers, to see James standing there awkwardly. "I wondered why he'd come to me for a small rule like that." She smirked. "Please, sit down." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. Once he had seated, she said, "What did you do this time?"

"I only wanted to show Rose and Al what I learned in Defense today…" James defended quietly.

"And the spell?"

"Err- The patronus charm…" He trailed off, and finally gathered the nerve to look her in the eyes.

"Did you really?" She looked surprised. "I knew your father and Professor Longbottom were teaching that, but I didn't know anyone successfully produced one yet! Well done!"

James was very confused. Why wasn't he in trouble? "Um, Professor? Aren't I going to be punished?" He knew it was stupid to ask, but he had expected to and was very surprised at McGonagall's reaction.

"Yes, I suppose so… Just serve a detention this Tuesday night." She winked at him. "Now tell me, how was the lesson?"

"Well, my dad showed us how to produce one, and everyone started trying… And then I produced a stag."

"Just like your father! Very good." She interrupted.

"Well Katelyn and a few others produced them too! Her's was a Hippogriff." He added.

She congratulated him on his great lesson, reminded him of his detention, and bid him goodbye. He arrived at his History of Magic class a half-hour late, handed Professor Binns his hall pass, and made his way towards his seat next to Katelyn. He didn't pay attention to the lesson much, because most of it he already knew. The Professor was going on about the second Wizarding War when James noticed that Katelyn had slipped a note to him. It read: _So when are you leaving school?_ He looked up at it, and she winked at him. He scribbled _I'm not. She just gave me a detention Tuesday night. She was more interested in the fact that we were actually able to produce a patronus. _He passed it to her. She was about to reply, but Professor Binns voice interrupted their thought.

"You are dismissed! Remember to write your essay on the war! They are due Wednesday!"

...

The rest of the week blurred by. Harry decided to watch the Gryffindor team's Quidditch practice on Monday night. Luckily, this was one of their better practices. James had decided to have a scrimmage, and Albus only let one quaffle in. Rose and the other teammates played exceptionally well, communicating properly, and when Harry let out the snitch for the team, James caught it within 5 minutes.

Tuesday's detention was nothing. James was sent to Hagrid's, where with his luck, Harry was having a drink. He ended up just talking with them about Harry and Ron's years at Hogwarts and returning to the common room two hours later.

When he turned in the essay on Wednesday, he and Katelyn got perfect scores. It was easy, after all. They just needed to write down one of their own fathers' stories about the war and it was accepted.

At Quidditch practice Friday night, James gave the team some pep talk.

"All right guys. We have our first game tomorrow, and it's against Slytherin." Everyone moaned. "I know they've beaten us for the last two years, but I am extremely confident with you guys. Go home tonight and get a good night's sleep, and tomorrow make sure you have a filling breakfast. I do not want to see any injuries on the pitch tomorrow." He paused, and began again, "Madame Hooch is ill, so Rose's dad volunteered to referee. I think that gives us a small advantage, but _please_ play fair. Does anyone know anything about the Slytherin team members?"

"John Fox." Andrea Garusso said. "I dated him last year." Everyone looked at her in disgust. "Dumped him though. He does whatever it takes to get what he wants. I know he plays really aggressive; he got called for about 60 fouls last year. I only know because he bragged about it." She added.

"Great! Thanks, Andie. I also know that their Seeker is Patrick Cirri. He must be pretty decent, because he beat out Malfoy for the position, and I've seen him play. The beaters are going to be aggressive, because they always are. I don't want you to fight fire with fire. Focus on not getting hit, and scoring. Well, I guess that's it. I expect you all to be well-rested tomorrow, and everyone should meet in the locker room at 9:30. Okay, I dismiss you."

He, Albus, and Rose walked back to the common room together. "I better score or else my father will disown me!" Rose was ranting. "Oh James, just catch the snitch as soon as you can!"

"I'm waiting until we are a few points ahead. I want to keep enough points where if we lose a game, we can still win the cup. And don't worry Rose!"

They made their way into the common room and were so exhausted that they went straight to bed. James was almost asleep when Albus called out to him.  
>"James?"<p>

"Yeah?" he said annoyed. After a few moments without a reply, he said "What is it?"

"What if your dream is a symbol? What if something actually does happen tomorrow?"

"Then we'll see, Albus. We need some sleep now." James said wearily.

"Okay…"

"And Albus?" James asked, yawning.

"Mmhm?"

"When you enter your third year, you should try Divination. You'd be good at it. You have the right mind." And with that being said, James rolled over and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

…

James excitedly hopped out of bed the next morning, pep-talking himself as he got ready. "All you have to do is focus." He'd go over the game plan in his head over and over. Albus was already up and in the common room when James came down the stairs.

"Morning! Should we go down to eat?" Albus asked and James nodded. They entered the great hall to see Andrea and Rose already sitting together at the Gryffindor table. It has been a tradition for the past ten years for the teams to sit together on game days, so Albus and James made their way over. Rose was chattering away about how nervouse she was, and how something bad was going to happen.

"I can just sense it! Someone's going to fall off their broom, or get hit by a bludger, or-"

"would you calm down? If we play the way we've been practicing, we'll do great." James interrupted her. By this time, the whole team had arrived and was digging into their breakfast. Soon enough, it was 9:25 and the team made their way to the pitch together. "We have just over 30 minutes to get changed and warmed up. Remember guys, focus. If we can keep our heads in the game, we can win this easily." James said as they entered the locker room. "Here's how things will work. I'm going to alternate between hovering above and below the game, searching for the snitch. Of you see it and I don't, hit a bludger towards me, and I'll look up and you can signal to me where you saw it. If you notice that Patrick sees the snitch and I am far behind or haven't noticed it yet, distract him. Send a bludger to him, fly in front of him, do anything that we can't get fouled for. Got it?" James confirmed, and everyone nodded in return.

Everyone changed into their uniform. Very little conversation was being kept, until Andrea blurted out "It just dawned on me, but has anyone got a clue for who's commentating?"

"Katelyn and Aldrin, I think. They take turns. I only know because Aldrin told me, but no ones supposed to know until the game... Oops." Albus giggled.

They walked out to the pitch to a roaring crowd. Nearly all the stand were packed with students cheering for Gryffindor. Even most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were cheering for Gryffindor. Ron called the captains over to shake hands, and with a blow of his whistle, they lifted off. James decided to begin below the players, and was hovering when he noticed Katelyn commentating.

"Weasley with the quaffle, she's speeding right towards the hoops! She shoots, and-Aww! Saved by Slythering keeper, Charles Fedderwitz! Now Fox has the Quaffle, and passes it over, but Garusso intercepts it! She shoots, and scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!" James was now circling around the game, making his way over the players. "Beatriz Parkinson now has the quaffle! Weasley tries grabbing it- Ouch! That's got to hurt!" James looked up to see Rose getting hit by a Bludger. She seemed fine though; she just kept playing like nothing happened. "Parkinson passes it to Fox, Fox throws- And a terrific save by Albus Potter!" _Great job!_ James thought. He Started scanning around for any sign of the snitch, but no luck. He did, however, spot one familiar face. _Dad! Dad's here! _He became so distracted with excitement that he didn't even notice Andrea and Rose score another twenty points. He saw the faintest flash of gold over by the Slytherin goal, and dove straight for it. "Look's like James Potter has found the snitch!" He heard the voice of Aldrin Gaffud chime. However, he stopped abruptly when he realized it was just the reflection of Fedderwitz's gold watch. It wasn't a waste of a dive, though. It confused Patrick Cirri and he was staying around the goal post, searching frantically. And then he saw it; The tiny, shiny, Golden Snitch was hovering just above the announcer's post. "Garusso passes the quaffle to Weasley, and- SHE SCORES! Gryffindor is now leading 40 to nothing!" He sped over to the announcer's stand, reached for the snitch; but it was too quick for him. It zoomed away from him, and he followed. It sped right in the middle of the game, where James followed, almost getting whacked by a bludger. He realized Cirri was on his tail, and zoomed even faster. Almost in grabbing distance from the snitch, he reached out his hand, but it shot down, towards the ground. James determinedly dove down, extended his hand, and felt the tiny ball land firmly in it. He did it! The crowd was going crazy as he landed on the ground and dismounted his broom, extending the snitch in the air, closed tightly in his fist. He had never been so happy in his life.

Suddenly, he heard the familiar, loud cackle of the witch in his dream, and he stood, frozen, on the pitch. The same woman emerged from dark fog right in front of him, and suddenly he knew who she was. Bellatrix Lestrange. She looked even more evil than the pictures of her in his History of Magic textbook.

"Well, well, well. Who have we got here? If it isn't James Sirius Potter. Son of the 'Chosen One' who destroyed my master. What to do with you?" She sneered. "Of course; it's not you I'm after. Oh, dear no. It's your filthy, half-blood father. But you are still family, aren't you? What difference does it make if I kill you first? Then I'll just move on to your cowardly father-"

"MY FATHER IS NOT A COWARD!" James interrupted.

"My, hasn't your mother taught you any manners? Or do blood-traitors don't worry about those? I think I know just how to take care of you. _CRUCIO!"_ She shouted.

The worst pain shot through James's body. It felt as if his limbs were on fire, as he screamed in agony. He felt as if he couldn't bear the pain any longer- if he did, he'd be driven into insanity. Suddenly, the pain stopped. He lay on the ground with his eyes closed shut, scared to move, as if any movement would cause the pain to begin again. He could hear Bellatrix cackling.

"And now his wittle daddy has come down to save him. Foolish, you are, Harry Potter. You always were a sucker for love, eh? How would you feel if I killed yet another one of your family?" She demanded.

"Don't you dare take one step closer to him." The voice of his father spoke. _Run, dad. Leave me and don't get killed. _James thought to himself.

"I think I'll just save you the trouble, though. Poor Ginny Weasley can't handle two deaths in one day!" She mocked. "So I'll just kill you instead." James kept his eyes shut. He couldn't bear to see his father get killed. _All because of me._ He thought. "_AVADA KEDAVR-"_

"_EXPELLIARMUS!" _Shouted a nearby voice. _Rose! It has to be Rose!_ James figured. He heard Bellatrix shriek, as her wand flew from her hand.

"_Petrificus Totalus!" _ Harry shouted. James heard a thump, which must have been the evil woman hitting the ground. "James! James…. Are you alright?" Harry was hovering over James, but James didn't speak. His eyes were still shut, because he feared that if they opened, he would be brought back to reality. He tried to motion to his father that he was okay, but he couldn't. Instead, he let out a soft, terrified whimper, and began shaking with anxiety. Someone picked him up, whom he assumed was hagrid due to the rough beard that his cheek was resting on. It wasn't until he was placed on a bed when he felt comfortable enough to open his eyes, and allow the surroundings of the hospital wing fill his vision.


	8. Chapter 8 This one is pretty long

**Hi my lovely readers, sorry it took me so long to upload! This is a long chapter (:**

**I've been on spring break, so hopefully I can upload the next chapter by Tuesday. No promises though. Please leave a review! It makes me so happy when you guys review my work (: Please enjoy!**

The room was bright. He could see a group of people packed together, whispering slowly. There was a short, heavy-set woman in the center, talking to others. After his eyes adjusted, he noticed that the woman was his grandmother, Molly Weasley. Around her were Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"...Too young! He needs to go!" Grandma Molly was whispering.

"But Mum, I don't want to… What if he's never the same?" Came the uneven voice of Ginny Weasley. James could tell she had been crying.

"Can't we wait until he calms down? We can ask him…" Harry trailed off.

"Harry! That would be the most foolish thing to do. What if he doesn't calm down? What if he ends up like poor Frank and Alice…"

"Mother! How could you even say that?" Ginny interrupted, and broke down crying again.

"It's true! No one has been tortured like that at such a young age and been perfectly fine after." Came the voice of Arthur Weasley. He must be on the other side of him, James thought.

"Well, Harry has been tortured." Ron butted in.

"He was older!" Molly snapped.

"Only by a year! Did they have to send Harry to St. Mungo's then? No. He didn't _want _to go." Ron snapped back.

"Maybe James has to! The poor boy is probably scarred to death, witnessing the near death of his own father! He might want help!"

"He won't." came the quiet voice of Albus. Everyone turned to him. James's eyes followed the direction of the voice, and saw that he was sitting farthest away from his bed, along with Rose, Hugo, Lily,- and _Katelyn? _The young girls' faces were red, and it seemed as if they too were crying.

"Albus, honey, please just let the adults talk it out." Came Ginny's voice. She sounded so weak and worried. James had never witnessed her like this.

"No. Mom, you and Dad both know it. He wouldn't want to go to St. Mungo's. He's _fine._ Wouldn't you be shaken too if someone almost killed you? Even if you did send him there, we all know he'd be too stubborn to listen to someone tell him how to control himself!" _It's true._ Thought James.

"He has a point." Harry defended.

"I suppose… I hope he's all right…" Ginny looked over her shoulder at him. He tried shutting his eyes, but it was too late. She realized he was watching. "James! Oh James, are you okay?" She ran over to him, fresh tears beginning to roll down her face. At that same moment, Madame Pomfrey came running into the room.

"Now, now, let's not bombard him with questions! He needs to be alone for now, out you go!" It was true. He didn't really want to be around anyone but his friends at the moment. Everyone shuffled out of the room, and when he turned his head to see if anyone was left, his eyes met the deep, blue ones of Katelyn Longbottom.

"James… I'm sorry." She said quietly. "How much did you hear?"

He was so startled from what happened since he caught that snitch, he couldn't find the right words to form in his mouth. He sat up in the bed, looked her in the eyes, and whispered, "I don't want to go."

"Oh, James!" She cried, and threw her arms around him. When she pulled away, wiping her tears, she said, "Tell them, then. You don't have to go."

At this point, Madame Pomfrey came hurrying out of her office, but when she saw Katelyn talking to James, backed away.

"I guess I should go. Curfew is in five minutes. Goodnight, James. Feel better." She said, and as gently as she could, kissed him on the cheek, and left.

He sat there, on his bed, for god knows how long. That same spot where her lips had touched his cheek tingled. A few moments passed, and Madame Pomfrey came back out.

"Are you going to let go of that?" She asked. He had no clue what she was talking about, and she could probably tell, because she clarified, "The snitch."

He looked at his hand, and realized it was still shut tightly around the shiny, golden ball. He released it, and it began slowly fluttering around his head.

"I think I'll keep it- If that's okay…"

"You do whatever you want with it." She winked at him. "I'm going to give you this potion so you can have a good night's sleep tonight, and you have to drink all of it, okay?" She asked, as she poured a clear liquid into a cup for him. He took it, drank it, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

…

He awoke to the sunlight shining through the window, and squinted in the brightness. He saw Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sitting in chairs around his bed.

"Look whose finally decided to wake up!" Uncle Ron said. Clearly it was the afternoon, because when he looked through the window across the room, not a student was in sight. He had so many questions swarming around in his head; he figured it might explode before he had the chance to ask them all.

"When can I leave? I want to go to my classes..." He started. Surprisingly, James did want to go to class, and make everything normal as if the previous day had never happened.

"Madame Pomfrey said she wanted you to stay a week or so. She's scared you may be too depressed after... You know." Ginny said.

"Depressed? What can be more depressing than staying in a bed all day while your friends get to do things and be together? I'd rather face reality than have to be here." James complained.

"You would? You aren't upset at all?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Well yeah, that was scary, but there's nothing I can do about it now. It already happened. I can't change anything. "He defended.

"I suppose so." Hermione trailed off. "I'll go talk to her. Ginny, care to join?" they left the room, leaving Harry, Ron, and James alone.

"Dad? How did it feel? I mean, when Cedric died? I read about it in History of Magic..."

"I felt like... Like no one understood. It's hard, seeing someone die. On top of that, no one believed me that Voldemort was back."

"But, I mean..." James sighed. "Voldemort tortured you. Did it make you scared of...?" But James couldn't find the word for it. "Never mind." he sighed.

"I know how you feel, James. Don't be afraid. She's not coming back." Harry began.

"What do you mean? What happened to her?"

"Well, after Rose disarmed her, we set her to a full body bind, and while Hagrid carried you here, McGonagall and I brought her to the Astronomy Tower." Ron retold.

"What about Dad? Why didn't he go too?"

"Blimey! His son just got tortured! He wanted to stay with you! Well when we brought her, I just so happened to have a bottle of veritaserum in my coat pocket." He winked. "So we un-paralyzed her, fed her the potion, and let her explain herself."

"How was she still alive? I thought Grandma killed her..."

"We did too" Harry came in, "but obviously not. When asked, she said she apparated away just in time, and that she's been in hiding ever since. There was a fallen brick next to her that she managed to transfigure into what looked like herself right before she fled. Brilliant, really. Brilliant but evil."

"Okay..." James Murmured as he absorbed all this information. "Well where is she now? What happened to her?"

"Dementor's kiss. She's gone." Ron smirked.

"Dementors? But-Now she has no soul?" James asked.

"As much as I disapprove with the use of them, I believe it was necessary." Harry sighed.

"It was much more than necessary! She attempted to kill you, Harry! She tortured your son!" Ron stated.

At this point, Ginny and Hermione came walking back into the room.

"Well, we have great news! James, you can leave today." Ginny smiled. James was so relieved to not have to stay in the boring hospital wing any longer.

"But there's one condition, and I know you aren't going to like this, but you have to keep a journal-"

"No! I'd get teased for life if anyone caught me with that!"

"You don't have to write in it a lot. Just use it if you are feeling down." Hermione butted in.

In the end, James agreed, but still found the idea stupid and pointless.

He walked out of the hospital wings within the next hour holding a leather-bound, thin journal. Luckily, all of his classmates were in their last afternoon class, so nobody saw him carrying it. He had just turned the corner to begin climbing the stairs when something caught his attention.

"Psst! James!" came a voice from around the corner. He hesitated, thinking it was one of the seventh years on break trying to tease him, but chose to respond and followed the voice. When he turned the corner, he saw none other than his Aunt Hermione. "I forgot to tell you, your father made me put a charm on the journal. If you ever need him, write in it. The message will transfer to this one, which is his." She pulled out an identical notebook. "Try. Write in it." She conjured a quill out of thin air and handed it to him. Very carefully, he wrote, _James Sirius Potter_. The ink quickly dried, and as if it were emerging from the parchment, began to appear in the other journal. "This way, if something important happens, you can write to him." James knew he could always rely on Aunt Hermione to invent something brilliant.

"This is great! Thanks! But ... Isn't Dad staying here a while anyway? Can't I just find him in the castle?"

"Yes, he and Ron are. They are going to be traveling a bit too, though, so at least you'll be able to still contact him when he isn't on grounds." She smiled. James thanked her once more, hugged her, and turned around to make his way to the common room.

He stayed there, attempting to catch up in his work, which included a 9 inch essay on moon phases for Astronomy and transfiguring a roll of parchment to a rabbit and back. He practiced, but every time something was wrong with it. His scroll would either have whiskers, or his mouse would have a paper tail. He decided to put Transfiguration aside and wrote about 3 sentences of his Astronomy essay when he heard the portrait of the Fat Lady swing open. He stood up when he saw the long, shiny blonde hair of Katelyn.

"James!" She squealed, running to him and giving him a big bear hug. A moment later, she released him, and he was attacked with another hug, from Rose and Albus.

"You gave us all a scare yesterday! I'm so glad you're all right!" Rose spoke.

"Thanks, it's good to be back." He replied. "This is just so weird! It's only been a day, yet it seems like I've been gone for weeks."

"I'm surprised you weren't! Grams wanted to send you to St. Mungo's… It's not every day a 13 year old boy gets tortured with a cruciatus curse! We thought you could've been driven to insanity!" Albus exclaimed. They all sat around the fireplace while they did their homework, talking about how well the match went yesterday. (Before Bellatrix came, of course.) James told them about the journal he had to keep, but decided to keep the jinxed part of it to himself. One by one, everyone shuffled out of the common room and into the dorms until it was the four of them alone, still working on homework and laughing at jokes.

He woke up the next morning on the common room floor. Confused, he sat up. Across from him were Rose and Katelyn, sleeping against one of the velvet red recliners, and next to him, Albus was sprawled across the floor. Had they really all fallen asleep doing homework? Their parchments were laying everywhere, and one of their in wells lay spilled over on the floor. He walked up to it, cleaned it up with a charm he just learned, and decided to go for a walk. He quietly tip-toed upstairs to his dorm room where Seth and the others were still sleeping and grabbed a brown, blank parchment from his trunk.

He had found this odd parchment the previous summer, hidden in their attic. He knew it must've been useful, because why else would a blank sheet of parchment be in the attic? He decided to take it. He would've tried to use every spell he knew to figure out how it worked, but he was underage and wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school. One night, however, his Uncle Ron and Harry had just arrived from the Leaky Cauldron at their house in Grimmauld Place and they were a little tipsy. James had decided to hide under the dining room table and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"And do you remember the Marauder's Map?" Harry said, in slurred words.

"Oh yeah!" Ron chuckled. "I thought you were crazy, staring at a piece of paper all the time! But then you just had to use that spell- I forget what…"

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" Harry chuckled, too.

"Yeah! That! And people would appear! Then you just said Mischief Managed, and voila! It disappeared again! Genius, your dad was!"

From that, James knew exactly how to use the map, and that it was even invented by his grandfather.

He climbed out of the portrait hole and for the first time in his life, pointed his wand at the blank parchment, and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Right before his eyes, the parchment came to life with an entire map of Hogwarts castle. He saw tiny dots appear all over the place, and underneath them, their owners names were written.

He made his way down the stairs and turned into an empty corridor, narrowly avoiding the near dot of Professor McGonagall. He had no clue where he was going, so he decided to test out all the secret passageways on the map. He paused to take a closer look at the map and realized that the first passageway was behind a knight standing directly next to him. He squeezed in between the knight and wall, but it seemed as if no shortcut existed. He glanced back at his map to reassure that he was in the right place, and he noticed that right above his dot, a speech bubble had appeared with "fireball" written in it.

"Fireball?" he said, confused. Suddenly, the wall had disappeared, and instead a hole big enough for one person to crawl through appeared. Deciding to enter it, he bent onto his knees, and quietly climbed through. It seemed like at least 30 minutes of crawling, and just as he decided he should turn back around, he heard muffled voices. Just around the corner was a small air vent, and when James checked the map, it led straight into the Headmistress's office! Inside were the dots of Ginny Potter, Harry Potter, and Lily Potter.

"Well, I really wish I could've stayed longer and at least said goodbye to everyone, but Wood won't let me take any more time off..." Ginny was saying. She played Quidditch for the Chudley Cannons, and Wood had transferred a few years back and became captain.

"Please remember to write, tell me how the kids are doing?" She added. Harry nodded and hugged Lily, then kissed Ginny goodbye.

"Gross!" James whispered to himself.

Ginny and Lily walked to the fireplace in the corner, grabbed a dusty substance (Which was obviously floo powder) and spoke at the same time "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!" And with that, they were gone. James began to turn himself around in the small tunnel, and when he finally had, he turned to take one more look out of the small hole and met the bright green eyes of his father.

"Oh no." James murmured.

"Next time you want to eavesdrop, you shouldn't make as much noise. I knew you were here the whole time." he whispered to James with a wink. "Now I would go, I think McGonagall is doing dorm checks today." with that, James turned around and scuttled out of the small passageway. It was 7:30 when he arrived back in the dorm, and very few people were awake. Albus was sitting at a table practicing his transfiguration with Seth, and James decided he should study a little too. He popped himself onto a chair across from them, and began turning his book into a parrot, and back with ease. His knees were red and scratched from climbing through the stony hole, and his hair was a little messy, for he hadn't brushed it yet.

"When did you get here?" Albus asked, looking up from his half rat-half quill. "And what's wrong with your knees and hair?" He asked, eyeing James suspiciously.

"Just now. And I'll tell you later." He Murmured. "Need help with that?" he asked. Albus nodded and with the flick of his wand, James transfigure Albus's "parrot" back into a quill.

"How in Merlin's name do you do that?" Albus asked amusedly.

"I don't know. It's easy." he chuckled. For some reason, he's been doing very well in his classes. The only person he figured was smarter than him, he assumed, was Rose, of course she knew every spell up to the fourth year. "Just concentrate! Focus on what you want to turn it into."

Albus tried, with a look of deep concentration on his face, said the incantations, and right before his eyes, a beautiful green parrot transformed from his quill! "Blimey James, why couldn't you have told me this before? Thanks!" Albus grinned.

**(Allow me to make a short authors note and ask a question to you: Do you think I add too much unnecessary dialogue/unimportant or uninteresting scenes? Answer as a review please!)**

They practiced transfiguring for nother few minutes until Rose came down and they all decided to go to the Great Hall for breakfast. On their way, James told them all about the map and how Harry had known he was eavesdropping.

"That's absurd! How can you not be punished? You are supposed to stay out of trouble!" Rose nagged.

"Oh, please! I've seen dad's records during his time at Hogwarts. I was sorting them in Filch's office one day for detention... You know, he's been caught sneaking around at night multiple times, even when Sirius Black was supposedly trying to kill him? If he didn't get expelled for some of the things he's done, then I have absolutely nothing to worry about!" James exclaimed.

James had nearly finished his first piece of bacon when he noticed quite a few people staring at him. Albuus apparently had noticed it too, because his face was flushing and he was staring down at his plate.

"Albus, why are you so embarrassed?" James asked, even though he knew the answer. Albus was the shy one of the two of them.

"They're all staring… I'm not good with attention, James, that's your specialty." He murmured. James just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his breakfast. He was used to getting attention. He loved it. But it felt a little awkward for him, considering they were watching him with concern rather than admiration.

"What's their problem?" James complained.

"You can't be serious." Rose answered. "How often does one of the best seekers in the school's history catch a snitch in less than ten minutes and then get tortured by a woman who was thought to be long dead?"

"They don't have to stare. I'm all right, aren't I?" He grunted.

"That's what so strange!" Rose exclaimed. "Every expected you to take at least a week off… It seems sort of different that you can bounce back up and attend school the next, as if nothing happened…" she trailed off. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" She asked, giving him the same concerned look as everyone else.

"Yes! I am fine!" he snapped, frustrated. The table stayed quiet and James finished his food as quickly as he can. He was getting really annoyed now; even the teachers were giving him sympathetic looks. After breakfast, he trudged to the large tree he enjoyed sitting under in the courtyard. It was pretty empty, with the excuse of Andrea Garusso sitting in the far corner whispering with another fifth year Gryffindor whom he didn't recognize. He took the tiny snitch out of his pocket, released it in the air, and watched it as it began fluttering around him, just above his head. He became so distracted with catching it and releasing it over and over again that he didn't notice Katelyn sit right next to him.

"So you got to keep it?" She asked quietly.

"Oh- yeah." James jumped, startled. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago." She answered. "Why'd you leave? You usually _love_ being the center of attention!" She kidded.

"Yeah, when everyone is showering me with admiration!" He chuckled. "I can't stand when people feel sorry for me. They were staring at me like I was handicapped or something."

"Well it gave us all a scare. But I probably would have walked out of there too." She sighed. "This is all so crazy! What if more people are out there, other supporters of Voldemort? What if your dad has to leave the castle, and right before your birthday, too!"

He had almost forgotten. His birthday was in two days! "I really think that any ex-death eaters would be smart enough to not reveal themselves all at once… Obviously we are all on alert now, right? It's not like one could be right under our nose…"

"I don't know, James…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" She paused, then took a deep sigh. "Look at Scorpius's father. He was a death eater."

"Yeah, but by force! I don't believe that he would plan to attack anyone soon. He's a healer, if he wanted to kill someone he could've have done that a long time ago."

"But what about his grandfather? Lucius! After the first wizarding war, he claimed to have been under the imperius curse! Then Voldemort rises again, and he decided to crawl straight back to him! More people could have gotten away with this! Aren't you worried?" She asked, with fear in her eyes.

"So what if I am? Katelyn, I'm not saying it's not an important matter, but what are we going to do about it? I'm sure my dad has thought this out. We'll be fine." James explained.

"I know… I'm sorry." She sighed then leaned against the tree. "What were you talking to Al about on the way to breakfast?"

James explained the marauder's map and his adventure to her all the way to Potions and didn't stop until Mr. Flinch-Fletchey entered the room and silenced the class.

**Wow! 9 pages long in my word processor! Please review, once again, even if you already have! I'd appreciate it so much! And if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please ask me via review or PM! I may even add you as an OC to my storyline, if you'd like. Just tell me your house, year, and anything else, and I'll **_**consider **_**it. Last, if you also write a Harry Potter fanfiction, please ask me to check it out and I will! I love reading the work of others (:**

**Well have a good day/night!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading this! Please review! My story is barely getting reviews and it makes me feel like no one is reading it. So PLEASE if you are reading this, review it! It makes all the difference! I won't update the next chapter until this story reaches at least 15 reviews, so please share it with your friends! If you want, I'll give you a shout out if you give me one! Just PM me about it (: So without any further ado, let's begin! P.S.: Sorry this chapter is a little short, but I personally think it has a good ending! Please enjoy and share it! (: -Andie**

The next few days dragged by. James was getting very distracted in each of his classes because everywhere he turned, at least one group of people were staring at him or whispering in groups about the Quidditch match the other day. One day, on his way to Herbology, John Fox came waltzing up to James and Albus just outside the courtyard.

"Potter! Watch out! Yaxley's behind you!" he said in a mocking tone.

"Is that really the best you've got?" Albus shot at him. "Surely I would've expected that you'd have spent hours trying to think of a cleverer tease, since you seem to love mocking people who could really care less."

"Shut up, pothead." John shot. Albus and James just rolled their eyes.

"What's going on?" Came a voice from further away. "John! Leave them alone!" Andrea Garusso walked up to them. "Tormenting a third and first year? That's real brave. Go get a life!" she snapped at him. He just glared at her.

John and his groupies turned and started walking away.

"You know, Potter, your daddy isn't always going to be there to rescue you." he said in a babyish voice, and walked into the castle.

"Ignore them." Albus said. Andrea turned to them.

"Sorry. I swear I would've let you pound the life out of him, but we can't risk anything. All we need is for someone to have a detention on the day of a practice or game..." she trailed off.

"That's okay. And thanks." James murmured.

"Don't listen to them. They're jerks." She added. "They're also just jealous that we beat them." She reassured him, then walked away.

"Wow, they obviously have some matters to sort out." Albus joked as they continued to walk to the greenhouses.

"That's right! She told the team she dated that git last year! I feel bad for her." James chuckled. "Albus, don't you have potions? Why are you going to the greenhouses?"

"Professor Finch-Fletchey told us to meet in the greenhouses today. We need to collect a few supplies for a Boil-Cure Potion we are going to begin."

"Sounds fun." James kidded. He and Albus parted into separate greenhouses.

"Everyone, stand in front of a pot!" Professor Sprout was calling. James found an empty pot right next to Katelyn.

"Hi James! How are you?" She greeted him as he told her about his encounter with John.

"That jerk!" She reacted. By now, everyone was in the greenhouse and Professor Sprout was shushing the class.

"In front of you is a pot filled with soil, in which you will be planting one if these." She began the lesson, holding a pink pod in her hand. "Does anyone know what this is?" Katelyn's hand was the only one to be raised. "Yes, Ms. Longbottom?"

"That's a puffapod!" She answered.

"You are correct! These contain very small seeds, that if dropped, burst into beautiful pink flowers." She trailed on, but James was only half-listening.

"I thought your dad was supposed to teach Herbology this year!" He whispered to Katelyn. "Professor Sprout is so boring; Mr. Longbottom was a brilliant teacher!"

"He was supposed to. From what he's told me, he was asked to change to Defense Against the Dark Arts right when we arrived at Hogwarts this year. He was reluctant towards it, but in the end accepted. I think now it was so that he and your dad can work together-"

"Is there something you would like to share with the class, Ms. Longbottom and Mr. Potter?" Their conversation was interrupted by Professor Sprout. "Surely it must be more important than this lesson." Katelyn's face began to flush.

"Oh no, you can go on." James chuckled. Professor Sprout eyed him suspiciously, but began to speak again.

"How do you do that?" She giggled quietly.

"Well when you get into trouble as much as I do, the smaller things seem to slide." He whispered. "By the way, Al and I are having tea for my birthday at Hagrid's this Saturday. Care to join?"

"Sure, I would love too!"

"This Is the second time, Ms. Longbottom! This behavior is expected from Potter, but never you! 10 points from Gryffindor, and each of you will serve a detention this Wednesday!" Professor Sprout snapped across the room.

"But there's Quidditch practice!" James shot back.

"Then you should have thought about that _before_ interrupting my class!"

"Fine." James grunted. "Sorry."

…

"_What?_ James! How are we supposed to practice without our captain?" Rose reacted when he told her about the detention, later that day in the common room.

"Would you calm down? I'll just ask Andrea. She's been on the team just as long as I have."

"Hah! Good luck with that! She told you today _not_ to get into any trouble!" Albus interrupted.

"Then I'll cancel practice if it's that much of a problem!" James snapped. This got Rose and Albus to stop nagging him.

"I wonder what we'll have to do! This is my first detention… It feels a little strange, breaking the rules!" Katelyn giggled in the corner.

"Yeah, what a rebel. I'm sure you can be sent to Azkaban for talking in class." He joked, winking at her. Everyone sat around a large round table in the common room, laughing and studying, until it was time for dinner and they made their way to the Great Hall. Plenty of students still shot curious glances at James, but he didn't care now. He was in too much of a good mood. When they say at the table, they noticed Harry and Ron eating with the staff at the great long table on the stage.

"Attention, students!" the sharp voice of Professor McGonagall, who was now at the podium, echoed through the hall. Everyone turned and looked at her. "In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley have arrived to hold an extra-curricular class here at Hogwarts. It is strictly for students in their third year and higher. The purpose of this club is to teach about fighting strategies, and teach dueling methods. Join at your own extent; this will not be an excuse for late assignments. Sign up in your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. You may resume eating!"

James dug into his food. He barely took a break between each bite.

"Would you slow down? You eat just like my father!" Rose giggled. "So that's why they came! It makes sense, now!"

"Maybe they can help our Quidditch team!" James said through a mouthful of food.

"Then they'd have to help _every_ team." Albus pointed out.

"Well, I'm fine with that! Ravenclaw needs all the help they can get. Especially since we play against you next…" Aldrin, Albus's friend in the Ravenclaw house, exclaimed.

Albus, Rose and James finished their breakfast and made their way to the Quidditch pitch.

As everyone began mounting their brooms, James called to the team, "Listen, everyone! I am very sorry, but I can't make the practice on Wednesday night."

"Merlin, what did you do _this_ time?" Olivia Ellens interrupted.

"Professor Sprout found it appropriate to give me a detention for talking in class." He continued. "So, uh, Andrea? Would you mind taking over that night?"

"I suppose I have to." She replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Great! So let's begin."

…

Before he knew it, it was Wednesday and he and Katelyn were walking to Professor Sprout's greenhouse together.

"I expect you to water each of these Fanged Geraniums. Make sure you keep yours hands high enough above them, otherwise they'll bite. And believe me, you don't want to end up in the hospital wing with one of these bites. After, you need to cut some gillyweed for Professor Finch-Fletchey. You have one hour." Sprout instructed, and stormed out of the room.

"This can't be that hard!" James assumed, but he was wrong. Not even five minutes into the detention, he had nearly lost a thumb three times and got his glove ripped right out of his hand by an especially vicious Geranium. Katelyn, however seemed to be doing just fine.

"This isn't fair, you have Herbology in your genes!" James kidded. All she did was giggle.

Thanks to Katelyn's green thumb, they finished tending to the Fanged Geraniums with another 30 minutes left to trim the Gillyweed. Though the task seemed easy at first, it was just as hard. The slippery, slimy plant kept slipping form James and Katelyn's grasps, and when they did have a good grip on it, the tentacles were too thick to cut with the small shears they were supplied with.

"This is _impossible_!" Katelyn moaned.

"Maybe we can sneak out and find your dad; We have another fifteen minutes! I can get the map and avoid everyone…" James suggested.

"And what if we get caught? We'd have to do this again!" She snapped.

They worked another 5 minutes in silence, getting more frustrated by the second.

"Katelyn… Didn't you bring your books? Can I see your copy of Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean?"

"Right…" She said, rummaging through her bag and tossing the old, thick book at him.

James skipped to the index, scanned the letter G, and flipped to page 281, where a small picture of the strange plant was at the top of the page, and underneath was the heading of _Gillyweed: Maintaining and Harvesting._ He began reading aloud: "'_Gillyweed is a special plant that allows it's consumer to sprout gills and swim underwater with ease for approximately 1 hour in salt water. Such cases are unsure in fresh water'_ Well, we know the answer to the fresh water part now; Dad used it. '_In order to harvest Gillyweed, simply use the diffindo charm and cut it's stems off._' That's all! Great! _Diffindo!_" And with great ease, the tentacle of plant fell into Katelyn's hand. They took turns cutting, and by the time they finished, they had 10 minutes until Professor Sprout came back. They decided to take a seat on a bag of soil in the corner by the door.

"That was a handful." James sighed.

"Remind me never to get in trouble again." Katelyn murmured. "This was such a waste of time!"

"Right? It's better than studying!" James laughed, causing Katelyn shoot a disapproving glance at him.

"You are mental, I swear." She giggled.

"I'm not, I just like to have fun, that's all!" He defended. There was another awkward silence. James looked up from his feet, and noticed she was staring straight at him. All he did was stare back, looking deeply into her eyes. And very swiftly, she pulled him into a soft kiss.

It was the greatest moment of his life. All he could focus on was this moment. Seconds or minutes may have passed, he wouldn't know, until _BANG! _The greenhouse door swung open, and Professor Sprout was standing there in the doorway, but she wasn't alone. Behind her were none other than Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom. He felt his whole face flush, and from a sideways glance, saw that Katelyn's eyes were wide.

"OUT! GET OUT!" Professor Sprout shouted, but he didn't need any orders. He hopped onto his feet, looking at the ground, and he and Katelyn scurried out of the greenhouse.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for reading! Once again, this one is pretty short! I'm sorry ): If you want to have a shoutout, please just Private Message me! But only if you give me one too (: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I adore them! Please leave another, it'll make me so happy! Also, I am about to publish another Harry Potter fanfiction, so please subscribe to me and you will get an email when I post it! Well, I believe that's all for now, so please enjoy and tell me what you think!**

They hurried into the castle, climbed to the seventh floor, where James murmured the password "May-bird", and sat down the in the common room, avoiding eye contact and staring at the floor in front of the fire. 'I'm dead!' James sat, thinking to himself. 'Dads going to tell Mom, and I'll have to be taught at home...'

"James? Katelyn? Are- are you okay?"

James glanced up to meet the almond-shaped eyes that belonged to Albus.

He just blinked and sighed deeply. By this time, Rose had also approached them. "What did you do?" she asked. "Don't tell me you got another detention. Then you'd have to miss Quidditch practice again!"

James shook his head slowly.

"Well then what's the problem?" Albus asked calmly.

"I- I- We-" James stammered, but he couldn't find any words.

"Our dads walked in on us. Err- kissing." Katelyn muttered.

Albus's eyes grew wide. "No way." he said, and started laughing.

"This isn't funny! Don't you understand? Dad and Uncle Ron aren't ever going to let me forget this. They will hold it against me!" James panicked.

"And my dad doesn't even know I like boys yet! He looked the most shocked out of all of them!" Katelyn ranted worriedly. "And Professor Sprout! Whatever respect she had for me has gone down the drain!"

Albus and Rose laughed even harder.

"So you regret it?" Rose giggled.

"What? No! No, I don't..." James trailed off.

"Neither do I! But..."

"So then why is it a big deal?" Rose asked.

"Professor Sprout screamed at us to leave! And Dad saw us! It's humiliating, Rose!"

"Once you get older, you'd understand." Katelyn sighed. "I'm going upstairs. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rose decided to follow shortly after, and once the two girls were well out of earshot, Albus leaned forward and asked eagerly, "So how was it?"

"Brilliant." James let out a sigh. "Until they came and ruined it."

"So what happened?" Albus Demanded.

James looked around at the people in the room. There were way too many around. "Let's go in the dorm. I'll tell you there." so they walked upstairs, flopped onto their beds, and James began to retell his night. "We had just finished harvesting gillyweed, and decided to have a seat in the corner, on top of some soil bags. We started talking and stuff, and then there was an awkward silence, so we... Kissed."

"Well done, brother!" Albus cheered. They began laughing, and once they started, it was hard to stop.

Seth, one of the first years sharing the dorms, walked into the room in the midst of their laughing attack. "What's going on?" he asked confusedly.

"Nothing..."Albus chuckled, calming down. "Boy, I'm tired. See ya in the morning." He yawned.

Within minutes, everyone had drifted off to sleep, but James lay awake in his bed, replaying higher night over and over again. To pass time, he decided to take out the Marauders Map.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." he muttered, pointing his wand to the parchment. Once again, he saw the blank paper turn to a full map of Hogwarts right before his eyes. Deciding to search for more passageways, he began scanning the map. He had set his eyes on one leading straight to Hogsmeade, when something caught his eye. Emerging from the same spot was a dot with the label of Malfoy. _That's strange_. He thought to himself. Why doesn't that dot have Scorpius on it? He wondered, assuming that it was him. _Whatever it is can wait until morning._ He figured, and he very quietly pointed his wand at the map and whispered "Mischief Managed." He set it on the side table along with the snitch which he had kept in his pocket, slid onto his pillow, and almost immediately drifted off into a sleep.

He was in a dark, ominous corridor. All he could see was a small glow coming from small cubicles on each side of the walls, and as he walked forward and peered into them, he could see what looked like wizards- _prisoners. _Dreading what he was about to see next, he looked up. Floating about ten feet above him were the black, cloaked figures that guarded only one place he knew of. Azkaban. Suddenly, he heard the click of a lock and the turning of a door knob. He turned quickly in it's direction, and a door opened to reveal the Minister of Magic himself!

"Over here, she's going to a top-security cell." Kingsley said, directing three men to a cell at the very end of the hall. James slipped into the shadows, as they were walking straight toward him, but they seemed to take no notice that he was even there. As they stepped where the moonlight shone, he saw that two of the men were Harry and Ron, and the other must have been Michael Corner. Even though James had never seen him in person, he knew that Michael was the third top-auror. As the stepped nearer to the cell, James noticed they were guarding someone- it was Bellatrix! Harry stepped forward, unlocked the cell, and Ron and Michael escorted her inside.

"How long is she staying?" Ron asked.

"24 hours. Then the dementors will take care of her." Kingsley confirmed. Harry slammed the gate shut, locked it, and turned to them.

"Let's get out of here." He murmured. And with that, the four men turned and started for the door.

They were walking past the last vault when James saw a pale, bony hand reach from the bars right into Michael Corner's back pocket, grab hold of the auror's wand, and snatch it into the cell.

"WAIT!" James was screaming, but no one can hear him. They opened the door, walked out, and James knew it was too late when he heard the loud POP of the four officials disapparating.

He turned to watch the prisoner. His eyes were wide and empty, but deep in them was a flicker of hope. He pointed the wand at his cell lock, murmured some incantation James couldn't make out, and with a screech, the gate creaked open. He stepped into the hallway where moonlight illuminated his face, and James noticed he had long, white hair. He let out a manic laugh, then walked straight towards cell where Bellatrix Lestrange was just placed, and opened it with the same charm. She immediately grabbed onto his arm, and as the dementors were advancing on them, they disapparated with the quick turn of their bodies.

James awoke in a nervous sweat, but almost immediately fell back asleep. By the time he woke up in the morning, he didn't remember a thing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, here is Chapter 11! Once again, I'm sorry it's so short. I have quite a few announcements so please bear with me for a moment and take the time to read this AN. **

**I uploaded the first chapter to my new story! It would mean the world if you read it and review it! **

**If anyone would like to promote each other, feel free to contact me via PM or email ()**

**I am now a beta reader, so if anyone is looking for one, contact me!**

**Without further ado, let's read!**

"James! Wake up!" Albus was shaking James violently.

"Why?" He moaned. Barely any sun was shining through the window, which meant it was still very early in the morning. He searched the room through heavy lids. All of his dorm-mates were out of bed and pacing the room frantically, except for Albus, who was staring down at James with a frantic expression on his face. "Albus, what's going on?" He asked in a more concerned way, straightening himself.

"We're on lockdown." He squeaked out, his voice quivering. "Somehow, death eaters got into the castle. We have to all go to the Great Hall, but we can't leave unless you come with us."

"Albus, don't worry, we'll be fine… Dad and Uncle Ron are here! They're the best aurors in centuries…" James tried to comfort him, but he too was scared.

"No! They aren't here, James! I don't know where they went, but they must have left last night!" Albus whimpered. James gave him a questioning look, so he continued, "I looked at the Marauder's Map when you were still sleeping. When the Head boy came in and told us we were to report to the Great Hall. _They left._"

"No, they couldn't have!" James defended. He sprang out of bed and across the room to where Albus's bed was, grabbed the map, and said frantically, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" The parchment came to life, but no sign of Harry or Ron was visible. "No, no, no!" He muttered.

"Maybe it's wrong!" Albus tried persuading.

"It's never wrong, Albus." James shot at him. "Come on, we have to go." James's mind was racing. What if Bellatrix had somehow broken out of her holding cell? Shoving the map into his pocket, he grabbed Albus by the wrist, and ran down to the common room, still in his pajamas, with the rest of his roommates behind him.

The room was pretty much empty, with the exception of Katelyn and Rose sitting by a table. Rose was evidently crying, and Katelyn had her arms around her, comforting her.

"Shhh. Rose its okay, we are going to be fine." She was whispering. "Look! Here's James and Albus now! We can go to the hall!" She said louder. The girls sprang to their feet and ran over to them. Rose ran and gave Albus a hug, and Katelyn ran into James's arms.

"James what are we going to do? Albus ran down and told us. What if they don't get back?" Katelyn worried, letting go of him.

"I don't know, but we need to get to the Great Hall. Let's go!" He said. He sounded a lot less scared than he felt.

The students ran out of the common room and down the empty corridors that led to the Great Hall. They tore through the halls, pounding on the ground loudly with their feet and panting heavily. All of the paintings were in frenzy, squeezing into larger frames and gossiping loudly about what was going on. The boys skidded to a halt right in front of the entrance hall doors, where Professor McGonagall was waiting impatiently.

"What took you all so long?" She demanded. "Surely I'd think there would be more sense of urgency given the circumstances."

"Sorry," Albus panted. "James overslept."

"Well at least you guys are safe, go on in."

They trailed into the crowded hall, where groups of friends huddled around each other, each of them with scared and anxious expressions on their faces.

Katelyn led them to an unoccupied spot in the middle of the room, and just as they arrived, Professor McGonagall stepped on-stage and began speaking over the crowd.

"I suspect you all are curious about what is going on, and you deserve to know. We have been put on full lockdown, because two intruders he entered our school. They are unidentified, but still may be highly dangerous. Until we capture them, you are to stay in here and study your classes' individually." she finished. She began walking of the stage when someone shouted out, "What about the Aurors?"

"Well, I'm sorry to let you know that they left the castle last night to take care of some ministry business. Since you cannot apostate into castle grounds, they have arranged another way of arriving here and will be here within the hour. Until they come and settle things, please eat or nap, or anything, as well as you are occupied." she finished for sure this time, and stepped away from the podium, joining the other teachers on the stage.

Rose, Albus, James, and Katelyn all sat down on the floor. James decided to take out his map again. 'Maybe I'll see who's in the castle' he thought to himself. He was carefully studying the hallway when Albus asked, "I wonder where dad was last night?" Just then, his dream flooded back to him.

"Rose, what do you suppose Lucius Malfoy looks like?" he asked suspiciously.

"In our History of Magic book, a picture of him shows that he has long, blonde hair... But he was sent to Azkaban for life when the war ended. Why?"

At that moment, terror spread through his body.

"He's in the castle."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everyone! If you have read this far, thanks so much. I got a pretty nasty review, and allow me to point a few things out. In a FANfiction, you are allowed to change plots. That's the whole **_**fan**_** concept of it. I know very few details in my story don't follow Jo's plot, but last time I checked we were allowed to change things up. Thanks for those who have left lovely reviews, and please review more! Lastly, please check out my new fanfic! **

**Oh yeah, sorry this one is short too. I promise Ill try to lengthen the chapters more!**

"We need to find dad." James said.

Rose and Katelyn looked at him as if he were crazy.

"James, he's not here! There's someone roaming the castle and that's all you are worrying about?"

He just glared at her.

"What if he is here? We just need to distract them; stop any fighting. Come on, you can't expect me to do nothing about this! Why else would any threatening people be here? To avenge the death of Voldemort. It makes sense, Rose, and you know it." she just looked at him concerned. "That explains last week's Divination lesson! My leaves... They read that a battle was coming!"

"No, they said friendship was coming." Katelyn corrected.

"Sorry. But you read it wrong... I didn't want you to look bad. But that's not the point! Something is going to happen!"

He had this strange feeling that something wasn't right, and he decided to take another look at the marauders map. Just as he unfolded the parchment, his dream struck his mind. He remembered the dark prison, the prisoners face, how he stole Michael Corners wand and set he and Bellatrix free, and how they disapparated just in time. He slowly opened the map, and saw, in the North tower, four names he was dreading to see. He saw the dots of Ronald Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Harry Potter.

Lying motionless off to the side was Ronald Weasley, and the dot of Harry Potter stood in a corner of that room, trapped by the two criminals.

"James, at least tell a teacher first..." Katelyn tried persuading.

"Let him go!" Came the shaky voice of Albus. Looking up from the map, James saw that he had tears in his eyes. "Do you really expect him to sit back and watch our dad die? We all know James. He'd never forgive himself if they got him when he could've made a difference!" Albus choked out and began crying. "Just go James! Well warn the Professors!" and with that, James darted out of the Great Hall, completely unnoticed by all the commotion.

Albus watched his brother run out of the hall, thinking it was probably the last time he'd ever see him.

"Here's the plan. I'll go to McGonagall. You can get your dad," he said pointing to Katelyn, "and you get Professor Flitwick and Hagrid. Tell them there's no time to explain, and get them to follow you. Go straight to the North Tower. That's where they are." Albus commanded.

They all separated, and Albus quickly approached Professor McGonagall.

"Headmistress, please listen!" He begged, tugging at the sleeve of her robes.

"Not now Potter, surely there are more important things going on!" She shook him off.

"Please! Professor! James is-"

"Whatever he did to you, I'm sure you can save for your father! Now please stop tugging my robes!" she demanded.

"MY FATHER IS ABOUT TO BE KILLED BY TWO DEATH EATERS. I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT." He nearly shouted at her. Nearly the entire school was looking at him. Professor McGonagall stopped in her tracks and turned to him, wide-eyed, and spoke in a whisper, "I don't know how you know this, but please lead the way." And she and Albus hurried into the corridor and made their way to the tower.

James ran, and ran, and ran. He ran up the staircase, skipping the one step that Peeved had turned into a trick step during his first year, and kept running until he reached the staircase leading to the North Tower, where he could hear muffled voices.

"STOP! Wait!" he shouted, darting up the stairs, and luckily he knew exactly what was coming for him.

"Crucio!" Bellowed Bellatrix, but James shielded himself, shouting:

"PROTEGO!" Panting and out of breath, he said, "Professors are on the way. Don't you dare touch my father!"

"Well would you look at little Mr. Potter. My, you are just like your father." Lucius Malfoy snickered.

"So tell me how that is a bad thing?" James demanded, trying to buy more time.

"Arrogant, always having to be the hero, don't you Potters ever learn?" he sneered.

"I'm proud to be a Potter. At least I'm not a part of your family! You'd think that generation after generation, you'd learn that being stuck up gits wouldn't get people to like you, they'd just hate you even mor-" but James didn't get to finish what he was saying, because at that moment, Lucius shouted "STUPEFY!" and James was blasted back into the wall.

He climbed back to his feet, his head pounding and the world spinning around him, and saw Bellatrix giving Lucius a high-five.

"You leave my son alone!" Harry shouted at them.

They turned back to Harry, their faces resuming their evil, serious expressions.

"Shut-up, Potter." sneered Bellatrix, and the rest happened all at the same time.

Up from the staircase came the white hair of Katelyn and behind her was Neville Longbottom. Following them came Albus, McGonagall, Rose, Flitwick, and Hagrid. Albus sighted James in the corner, losing consciousness from the hard fall, and began running to him.

"James!" he was shouting.

Just then, combinations of curses were fired.

Bellatrix Lestrange bellowed "CRUCIO!" and James was sent to the ground, each of his limbs burning with pain.

From across the room, he could barely hear the fighters shout their spells. All he remembers was hearing at least four people shout at the same time "STUPEFY!" and then his pain disappeared. Albus was now right next to James, hugging him. There was a loud explosion, and suddenly everything went black, and the only thing he could hear were his own thoughts, until even those slowly faded away.


	13. Chapter 13

**HI EVERYONE! I am in a great mood, watching all the ABC Family series, so I decided to upload this! Thank you all for reviewing! All reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated (: I have to give props to Anna Louisa, who has left so many wonderful reviews! Go check out her page, she just finished a wonderful series! Please enjoy (: Next chapter will be up soon, I'm almost done with it! And last, please check out my other series! **

James opened his eyes to a bright room with mustard yellow walls covered in medical posters. His whole body was aching, and he had a throbbing pain in the back of his head. Around him, he could see his grandparents, parents, and Lily sitting in waiting chairs.

"What the bloody hell happened?" James moaned. "My head's killing me."

Ginny walked over to his bed and grabbed his hand. "Oh James, thank Merlin you're all right." He just stared at her. "Do you remember anything?"

He thought for a moment. His mind began spinning from him climbing the North Tower, stalling the two death eaters, to Albus running toward him, and him losing track of things after Bellatrix cast the cruciatus curse on him once again. He remembered an explosion.

"I heard something explode... Wait." He said slowly. "Where's Albus?" He asked fearfully. He wasn't in the waiting room. What if he got caught in the fight? Everyone just stared at him with sorrow etched into their eyes. "Mom. What happened to him?" he demanded, sitting up in the bed he was lying in.

"I'm here, James!" Albus called quietly. James turned his head to the other side of the room, where he was sitting with Rose. "Just a broken arm..." he trailed off, looking back at his feet.

"Then what happened? What's going on?" James demanded.

"Well, when Bellatrix cast the cruciatus curse on you, Albus was running to you. The explosion happened when the teachers came; they all cast STUPEFY at the same time. A whole wall blew in; right on top of you two." Harry paused to clear his throat. "Mr. Longbottom was running to make sure you guys were okay... And Lucius killed him." those last four words etched into James's mind. Neville was dead.

"No, no that can't be true!" James tried convincing himself out loud, as tears formed in his eyes. He looked into the eyes of each of his family members, but each one expressed the same grief as the others. "Where's Katelyn?" he pouted.

"She's with Luna. They needed some time alone." Ginny spoke softly.

Suddenly, everything became loud to James, and all that happened echoed in his head. Subconsciously, he tried climbing out of the bed. He needed to get away.

"James please stay!" Ginny begged, pulling him into a hug and keeping him on the bed. "The doctor said you have a big concussion. You need rest." she let go, and he just stared at her.

"Doctor?" He asked, confusedly. "Where am I, exactly?"

"Well, umm, we didn't know what to do, to be honest. So we brought you and your brother to St. Mungo's..." she trailed off. "Everyone else is fine."

"No, mom, they aren't fine. Mr. Longbottom is dead. And it's my fault. I should've told someone about my dream and none of this would have-"

"Dream?" Harry asked, furrowing his brows.

"I- err… I had another one of those crazy dreams. Can I tell you later? My head hurts… I'm going to rest more." He excused. Only half of what he said was true. His head _did_ hurt, but he wasn't going to rest. In fact, he just wanted everyone to leave the room so he can lie in the hospital bed and run through everything that had happened. Slowly, everyone began to shuffle out of the room, until finally, Rose and Albus were the only ones left with him, sitting on a bench and staring at the floor.

For the first time, James let all the news sink in. He had never experienced a death before, and now he knew it was no picnic. He dug his face into his pillow, and began crying, not worrying about letting fear show in front of his little brother. Seconds, minutes, or even hours could have passed, James didn't know. When he finally lifted his pounding head, though, he met the eyes of Albus, who was standing at the side of his bed, with his arm in a sling.

"They could've used skele-grow on my arm, but I preferred a sling." Albus explained quietly. "It just seemed like it would hurt too much… I didn't want to make people see me hurt. But it didn't make any difference. We're all upset anyway."

James just stared at him through sorrowful eyes.

"I thought you were gone, too." Albus continued, tears welling in his green, almond-shaped eyes. "We all did. You didn't gain consciousness until now… Katelyn nearly fell apart when she thought you were dead, too. She walked into the room and started sobbing hysterically! The doctor had to escort her out and explain to her you only had a concussion. And James, you are _lucky_. Even the doctor was surprised you weren't in a coma or something."

"I can't believe… Did you see it?" James asked Albus.

"No. My eyes were closed. Rose did, though…"

James looked over at Rose. He could tell she had been crying, but she just looked back at him and put on a weary smile.

"Agh, this just isn't _fair_." James complained.

"That's life for you." Rose muttered. "Nothing's ever fair. But some things we just can't change." She sighed.

"Why does this stuff always happen to us? It's like trouble attracts us." James complained even louder.

"More like we attract trouble." Albus muttered. There was a long pause, then a look of surprise crept across Albus's face. "James!" He said suddenly, making James and Rose jump. "At the beginning of the year, you read Katelyn's tea leaves, right?" James nodded. "What did they say?"

"A great loss. But it's all a bunch of foolery." James said, confused.

"A great loss. James, it came true. So have your dreams, and your own leaves! This can mean something…" Albus trailed off excitedly.

"It can't be anything good." James muttered.

"James, I think I know where Albus is going… You are really good with Divination." Rose reasoned.

"And…?"

"And maybe you can use this to our advantage! If you can use a crystal ball or something to see what's going on, we can capture Bellatrix and Lucius!" Rose exclaimed.

"Wait. They got away?" James asked, clenching his fists. "All this happened and they still got away?"

"Sadly…" Rose sighed. "But James, if we use Divination… It won't matter! We'd capture them!"

"Or just get another person killed." James muttered. "Plus, crystal balls are very advanced. I'm a beginner to this, and there's no way I can get my hands on one!"

"Well, I figured _you_ of all people wouldn't mind breaking a few rules!" Rose persuaded.

James was astonished. Rose of all people was suggesting he break the rules! "Fine. But how?" he caved. For the next half hour, the three of them sat in the hospital room, devising a plan to sneak into Trelawney's storage and steal a crystal ball, until Harry and Ginny walked back into the room and they all fell silent.

"James, sweetie, the doctor is coming to feed to a potion. It will get rid of your concussion." Ginny said sweetly. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better." James sighed. "I feel terrible about Mr. Longbottom though…"

Ginny gave him a weak smile. "You know, you remind me of one of my friends from Hogwarts. He too always felt like bad things were his fault."

"Who is that?" James asked.

"Your father!" she chuckled. "Merlin, you two are so modest." Harry, too, was smiling now.

"And we both have a knack for trouble." Harry chuckled.

"What a _wonderful_ trait." James muttered sarcastically. Just then, a tall man in all white burst into the room.

"Hello, James, I am Dr. Pye." The man introduced himself, extending his right hand to James. He took and shook it. "Please drink this potion." He poured a lilac colored substance into a cup. "I warn you; It's no cup of tea." He winked at James. James took the cup from the Dr. Pye and drank the potion. It was completely and utterly disgusting. It tasted as if someone had spilled it on the floor and left it there for a while, then recollected it. It was worth it though, James's headache began fading immediately.

"How are you feeling now?" Dr. Pye asked kindly.

"Great." James said, and it was true. His body had stopped aching and he felt like he could think straight again. "Thanks."

"You may go visit your friend now, if you'd like. She's in the waiting room. It's out the door, to the left." He told James, and with a wink, he exited the room.

James took the opportunity and left the room, and entered the all-white waiting room down the hall. Sitting in a chair alone was Katelyn.

"Hi." James said quietly, taking a seat next to her. He saw that her eyes were red and her cheeks were tearstained. "I'm really, really sorry." He continued, then let out a big sigh. She looked up from the floor, and for the longest time kept her deep blue eyes locked to his big brown ones.

"Oh, James…" She finally whimpered, letting fresh tears flow. James pulled her into a hug, and she buried her head into his chest, letting her tears fall. A few minutes passed, and finally, she stopped crying. Pulling away from him, she said "It's so weird. It doesn't feel like he's gone… Like I am just going to wake up and none of this happened."

"He isn't gone," James said, "he's still with us. In spirit, though…" He let out another sigh, then added "My dad once told me that 'The ones we truly love never really leave us.' His own godfather told him that… But it's true." There was another extended silence.

"You were right, you know." Katelyn stated quietly. When James gave her a questioning look, she continued. "The tea leaves."

"Speaking of, Rose, Al and I have a plan." James began, and explained their thought out plan to sneak into Trelawney's office during the next Hogsmeade trip and steal a ball. "And then I can use it to find Luicus and Bellatrix!" He finished.

"That's a great idea, but there are some holes. What if Trelawney doesn't go?" She asked. James could tell he had distracted her, because now she was engrossed in the plan. "I suppose I can distract her…"

"Brilliant! Ask for help interpreting your dreams, or something. Then I can sneak back there!"

"And if she catches you? What are you going to do then?" James hadn't thought of that.

"Oh. Well, I guess I can say I was just so enthusiastic about learning with crystal balls next year that I couldn't wait…" They decided to stick to that plan, and by the time everyone else had walked into the room, they were both giggling and smiling.

"Well, the doctor gave you all permission to return to school, if you want." Harry announced.

"I think I will." Katelyn said. Everyone else agreed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading. I am sorry I haven't updated in over a week. I know you may be a little eager to read, so I'll explain in a AN at the end. Please enjoy!**

The next 12 hours seemed to go by slow. There was only so much you can do in a hospital, and most of the time James found himself sitting in the waiting room devising plans to sneak around the castle. Katelyn and her mother, Luna, had gone to visit her grandparents in a different wing and Albus and Rose were with Lily, looking at her chocolate frog card collection (which James had no interest in), so he was all alone for a while. To pass some time, he decided to count all the Quidditch fouls he knew, and after 264, he lost track. When Katelyn finally returned, she was in no mood to talk, so they sat in silence. James couldn't wait to return to school, where things would at least be a little more normal.

Finally, it was Friday morning and James, Albus, Rose and Katelyn were preparing to Floo back to Hogwarts along with Harry and Ron. They bade their goodbyes to the rest of the family, and one by one climbed into the fireplace and disappeared to the castle. Finally, it was James's turn. He climbed into the chamber, grabbed a fistful of the green powder, and dropped it, saying very clearly "Hogwarts!" he felt a burning, twisting sensation, and then as quickly as it came, it stopped. He opened his eyes, and saw that he had arrived in the majestic office of Headmistress McGonagall. Around him were the others, who had just arrived as well. He pulled his schedule out of his school bag, and noticed he had Defense Against the Dark Arts first... But how?

"Hey Dad?" James called confusedly. "Who's going to teach Defense now?"

"Well, until we can find a new teacher, Ron and I will take over. It'll probably be until the holidays." he answered.

Checking the time, he saw that it was already10:21 and morning classes started in nine minutes. "Guys, we should go." he said, turning to Rose, Albus, and Katelyn. He hugged his Dad an Uncle goodbye, and hurried to his dorm where he picked up his books and scrambled to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

...

When he walked in, the already hushed voices dropped to a low whisper. Everyone seemed to be staring at either him or Katelyn, (who was sitting quietly at a table in the back of the room). James joined her, and whispered loud enough so that nearby watchers could just hear, "You'd think we'd killed someone. They're all staring like we're murderers." and with that said, they turned their heads embarrassedly and began talking to their group mates again. But this didn't cheer Katelyn up. In fact, she looked even gloomier than before. "Don't worry." James said quickly. "It'll stop. Something new is going to happen and they will completely forget this. Like Hogsmeade! The first trip is this weekend! Everything will be back to normal!" he tried cheering her up, but it didn't help.

"Things will never be normal." Katelyn sighed.

James opened his mouth to try to reason with her, but stopped short when he saw that the Headmistress herself was standing in front of the class, waiting for their attention.

"Welcome, third-year students." she said in what seemed was an exhausted tone. Was it grief? "Due to some recent events, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will alternate with each other teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Thank you." she finished, then with a stiff nod, exited the room.

The entire lesson seemed gloomy. No other students knew about Mr. Longbottom's fate, but there was a violent storm brewing outside, causing the weather to be cold and damp, and making the students sleepier and more sluggish than usual. The mood was worsened, however, when Professor Finch-Fletchley deducted 20 from Gryffindor because Katelyn's shrinking solution bubbled over and soiled all of the Gryffindor students' class work, and James took the blame.

"I suspect by now that some of you should know how to read. It specifically instructs you to turn thrice, and then blow on it, Mr. Potter. Apparently, you thought it would be funny to spit in it?" the Professor criticized him. In reality, Katelyn had dripped one of her tears in it trying to hide herself. James managed to switch cauldrons with her just before it overflowed.

"But sir-" James tried explaining, but he was cut off.

"20 points from Gryffindor, and a detention for Mr. Potter tomorrow night." a rather annoyed Professor Finch-Fletchley interrupted.

"That's no fair! His birthday is tomorrow!" Katelyn blurted out.

"Well then he should have thought about that before he decided to shrink all of your supplies." The professor snapped back.

James had completely forgotten that he was turning 14 in less than 24 hours. In fact, it never even crossed his mind until that moment. A small burst of excitement spread through his mind; his birthday was a month before holidays, which meant he'd be home and away from school for two weeks within the next month. He imagined his great times spent at home over Christmas, when he, Albus, and Lily would take turns outside, sledding down a hill, or when they would have snowball fights against Rose and Hugo. He was jerked out of his fantasies when the bell rang, indicating he had to move on to the Great Hall for dinner. He walked into the hallway, where Katelyn caught up with him.

"James, I'm so sorry!" She apologized. "I should have taken the blame…"

"Don't worry about it. You have enough on your plate. Plus, I'm used to getting in trouble!" He reasoned with her.

"But… Now you have to miss your birthday at Hagrid's."

"Katelyn. It's okay. I promise." James reassured her. "Birthdays aren't that big for me anyway."

It was true. Each year, Albus and Lily have playfully avoided him on his birthday. "I feel like getting a year older is like losing a precious year to do something you enjoy. And I enjoy getting in trouble. So all my siblings sort of avoid me anyway, making sure I don't pull any pranks on them, and my parents spend the day trying to egg them out of their rooms." He explained. "It's not that I don't enjoy them, it's just not a big deal for me. Mum says I take after my dad with that one." This brought a small smile to Katelyn's face.

"That's kind of weird, though, that Professor Finch-Fletchley didn't go easy on you because of..." he trailed off. Katelyn's small smile vanished.

"Nobody knows yet. McGonagall said she would announce at the feast... So I guess that's now." Katelyn trailed off, as they took a seat at the great, long table. James looked ahead, and standing at the podium was none other than the Headmistress herself. She cleared her throat, and all the students turned their attention to her as the room fell silent.

"Today I must announce a very great loss. But first allow me to explain yesterday's events. Yesterday, two former death eaters known by the names of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from Azkaban and came to the castle. If it weren't for four brave students, help wouldn't have come and more than the one person would have died. When help came, however, Mr. Longbottom was killed with the killing curse." She paused, and sniffed back what seemed to be a tear, then continued. "Everyone please give thanks to these four students, whom without, you all would probably be on your way home. 40 house points will be rewarded each to Albus Potter, Rose Weasley, James Potter, and Katelyn Longbottom. Would everyone please take a moment of silence for Mr. Longbottom, who will always be remembered at Hogwarts?"

The room remained dead silent. James looked at the staff table and saw that every teacher was looking down at the table, with very sorrowful expressions, and at the very end of the long table, Hagrid sat sobbing with Harry and Ron on both sides of him, both looking very gloomy as well. James looked next to him, and saw that Katelyn's face was once again covered in tears, and without thinking, he reached down to her hand and grabbed it, locking his fingers in hers, as she leaned her head on his shoulder and began to cry even more.

**Sorry it's been so long, guys! I have been so busy. My mom is leaving for Germany, and I have major testing at school, so I have had very little time to write. I promise I will have the next chapter up by this Sunday, but only if I get enough reviews! **_**Please review! Make me happy!**_** Thank you all for reading this far (: My next chapter for my other story will most definitely be up by Friday. I had to lend out the book, which I use as a map for it, and JUST got it back, so I still need to finish it! While you are waiting, please read and review it. It is called "Promise Me This" and it is from the POV of an OC of mine, during Half Blood Prince. **


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